The Detroit Tigers drafted Kevin McGonigle 37th overall in the first round of the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft out of high school.
The Tigers’ infielder went straight into Detroit’s minor league system at 18 years old and has worked his way up to Double-A Erie this season.
There’s a lot of excitement around the 20-year-old and what his future in with the Tigers could look like, but general manager Jeff Greenberg wants to give it some time.
Tigers’ No. 1 Prospect Won’t Debut in 2025
McGonigle is the Tigers’ top prospect and the No. 2 prospect in the MLB, according to MLB Pipeline. However, in a interview on MLB Network, Greenberg revealed McGonigle’s MLB debut won’t come this season.
“No, I don’t think that’s on the radar right now,” Greenberg said, when asked if McGonigle will play for the Tigers in 2025.
Although the Tigers’ general manager isn’t ready to bring McGonigle up, he’s been impressed with the young infielder and other prospects’ performances at Double-A Erie.
“They’ve all made a really strong impression in their limited time there. The reality is, they’ve been down there for — I don’t even think it’s been quite a month yet,” Greenberg said. “We’re talking about less than 30 games. The focus for that group is their development. They need the reps. They need it offensively. They need it defensively.
Kevin McGonigle, @MLBPipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect, hit a MAMMOTH homer last night on a 100.2 MPH pitch 😳 pic.twitter.com/XWt25nAy3g
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2025
“When you see young prospects get to that Double-A level, the game is played a little faster, and there are adjustments to be made on a day-by-day basis. We’re excited about that group. Obviously, Kevin is a really big piece to that.”
McGonigle has played 29 games at the Double-A level and is hitting .275 with a .950 OPS. The young infielder has seven home runs and 27 RBI, and has demonstrated strong plate discipline with 18 walks compared to just 14 strikeouts.
However, at this point, Greenberg is more focused on the 20-year-old getting experience and continuing to grow.
“But right now, the focus is on their development and getting the reps to continue to take those steps forward,” Greenberg said. “Again, they’ve only been in Double-A for a month.”
