LAKELAND, FL – I gotta admit something: Kevin McGonigle has been better than I anticipated for the Detroit Tigers this spring training.
And I actually had high expectations for him.
It’s not just his bat, although his offense has been fantastic.
It’s not just his defense, although he continues to make play after play at short.
It’s not just his comfort level with his teammates – I don’t sense any awe from him in the clubhouse.
It’s not just his comfort with the media – he acts like a polished, seasoned pro.
It’s not just how much he has grown in the Tigers system.
It’s not just how he keeps trying to improve, working on the little things like pre-pitch foot placement.
It’s not just his wonderful, old-school focus on winning – I get the sense that he would run through a wall if it meant winning a game.
It’s not just his ability to handle the moment – nothing has sped up on him.
No.
It’s not any of those things on their own.
It’s all of them. That’s what has been truly impressive. That’s what has been better than anticipated. All of these things have combined to make him the story of this camp.
“I’ve been impressed with how under control he’s playing and his baseball instincts are shining through,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on Sunday, March 1. “I think we knew we had a pretty good player on our hands. It was a matter of how emotionally stable, was he going to be able to come into a new environment, and he’s showing very well.”
Looking more and more possible
So, is he gonna make this team?
My mind has changed over the last few weeks.
In the first week, I thought, well, he’s a longshot but the Tigers haven’t shut the door.
Now?
After watching him continue to soar and handle every situation?
Right now, I believe he has a legit shot. In fact, at this point, it seems more likely than not.
Again, that’s after just two weeks. A lot can still change.
“It’s March 1 in spring training, decisions are made right before Opening Day,” Hinch said. “So why sweat it?”
Well, because time is actually running out.
The Tigers have already passed the midway point in Florida. They have less than three weeks left in TigerTown, with their final game in Florida set for March 21 against the New York Yankees. Toss in this week’s trip to the Dominican Republic, and time is starting to shrink.
So, let me flip this around and approach this from a different point of view: At this stage, what would be the reason for keeping him down?
There’s only one reason I could see: If the Tigers said that he needs to develop more defensively.
One of the things the Tigers want him to improve is his pre-pitch approach. Having his feet hit the ground a split second before the batter makes contact. Land too early and your feet turn to cement. Too late? You’re toast.
“He’s starting to be more consistent,” Hinch said. “It’s a very nuanced part of the position.”
It’s something he has been working on.
“That’s the biggest thing the Tigers have been hammering on me, is the pre-pitch,” McGonigle said. “I worked all offseason on it, and I’ve been able to get the balls to the six hole, and my glove hand a lot easier. That also makes the throw a lot easier. If you get to the ball quicker, you have more time.”
To be clear, his development is far from complete.
He has so many more stages, like learning how to adjust after pitchers adjust to him.
But that happens in the big leagues.
Or learning how to adjust to failure. And while struggles are inevitable, again, that’s probably only going to happen in the big leagues.
Wouldn’t you rather have him take the next stage of development under Hinch and the Tigers assistant coaches?
Tigers giving him a chance
I gotta give the Tigers credit. They have put McGonigle in position to have a chance to make this club. They didn’t sign anybody who could have blocked him, and they set up everything for him to succeed.
Then, Hinch ripped the bandage off right from the start. In the first infield practice, McGonigle shared time with Javier Báez.
When they played their first TV game of the spring, Hinch rolled out a power-packed lineup.
With McGonigle at short.
“It’s just more for sensationalism,” Hinch said before Sunday’s game.
Mission accomplished.
Because McGonigle went out and made some sensational plays at short, playing behind Tarik Skubal.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Skubal said. “Of the nine outs. I think he was responsible for like six of them … This is a complete baseball player.”
The Tigers aren’t shielding him from the spotlight. They haven’t tamped down the attention or excitement. They haven’t tried to limit access to him. And trust me, they have done that with some young players in the past.
But McGonigle? Nope.
They have thrown him into the deep end, to see if he would sink or swing.
And he has showed the emotional maturity and stability to handle it.
“I am so stoked for Kevin McGonigle right now,” fellow high-profile prospect Max Clark said, “because that dude is putting on a clinic.”
McGonigle – the No. 37 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft-turned-consensus No. 2 prospect in baseball – is hitting .400 with three extra-base hits, two walks and four strikeouts in seven spring games.
Yes, a clinic.
Could things change over the next few weeks?
Yes.
But there’s something else I wanna stress: I’ve seen so much growth in him.
I spoke to McGonigle after he was drafted, and he seemed a little overwhelmed at the attention and focus. Which seemed natural when a high school kid gets picked so high.
Last spring, when he was called up for a big-league spring game, I remember seeing him sit in the dugout with Max Clark and he had awe in his eyes.
But that awe is completely gone. Now, he exudes pure confidence.
It’s like we have seen him grow up.
Not totally unprecedented
Here’s an argument someone could make for him not to make this club: Pump the brakes! He hasn’t even played in Triple-A yet.
OK, I understand the point. And yet, while it is rare to go from Double-A to the big leagues, it’s not unprecedented.
Miguel Cabrera did it for the Miami Marlins in 2003 and, well, it didn’t exactly stunt his growth.
And before all that, of course, Al Kaline skipped the minor leagues entirely, going from high school to the Tigers.
Relax, I’m not comparing McGonigle to those players. Just pointing out that it’s not unprecedented.
So, let’s turn to McGonigle.
What does he say about all this?
Spoiler alert: He keeps saying all the right things.
“I have a lot of great guys in that clubhouse that been in the same spot as me,” McGonigle said. “I get to talk to them about their mindset, how they went through it. And the best thing is, just keep going out and trying to help your team win. No matter what team you’re on, it’s the same game. My goal is just whatever team I’m on, I’m out there and I’m trying to help them.”
McGonigle doesn’t just look and sound like an MLB player. Doesn’t just act like an MLB player. Doesn’t just carry himself like an MLB player.
He looks like somebody who can help this team win now – and that’s the only thing that should matter.
Finally, I want to make one more point. Perhaps, the most important: If he does make this team, it wasn’t something that was given to him. He will have earned it.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What’s argument NOT to put Kevin McGonigle on Tigers Opening Day roster?
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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