Cincinnati — Some stats are projective. Some stats are compilations. And there are others that simply reflect this moment in time. Stats that make no pretense about what they might mean tomorrow or down the road.
They are just a snapshot of where a player is right now. And, if taken in proper context, they can be fun.
Like this one: Tigers’ 21-year-old rookie Kevin McGonigle, 25 games into his big-league career, has produced on a level equal to Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Ducky Medwick at the same age.
McGonigle, entering the game Friday night, has 30 hits, 10 doubles and just 14 strikeouts. Only five other players his age or younger have done that to start their careers: DiMaggio and Roy Weatherly in 1936, Medwick in 1932 and Joe Vosmik in 1930 and 1931.
Doesn’t mean McGonigle is going to end up in Cooperstown. It just means he’s off to a helluva start.
“Oh wow,” McGonigle said when he was shown that comparison. “When your name is up there with guys like that, it’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that.”
It’s not an easy thing to process for a player in the moment. In fact, it’s probably best he doesn’t even try.
“Yeah, at the end of the day, we have a long season ahead of us,” he said. “My main thing is just to keep doing what I’m doing. I was told before I came up here, ‘You are going to hit a (rough) stretch, blah, blah, blah. But the biggest thing is, if you are walking and having good at-bats and competing up there, the stretches won’t be as bad as it might look.”
McGonigle went into the game Friday with the same number of walks as strikeouts (14). Also very rare, at least in Tigers’ history, for players in their first 25 games. There are only three others on that list: Johnny Groth (1946-49), Benny McCoy (1938-39) and Topper Rigney (1922).
The at-bat quality is what Tigers’ president Scott Harris cited as a driving force in giving McGonigle an eight-year, $150 million extension earlier this month.
“It’s not just the slash line,” Harris said. “It’s not just the power. It’s the way he goes about his at-bats and the way he fights for every pitch. And the way he fights for every advantage on the field and the way he makes his teammates better.
“This is the type of player you want to be here for a long time.”
McGonigle took a 21-start on-base streak into the game Tuesday, as well, the longest active streak in the big leagues. The last Tigers’ rookie to do that was Austin Jackson, who reached safely in 25 straight starts in 2010.
Jackson was 23 years old in 2010. The last 21-year-old Tigers player to produce a 21-start on-base streak was Howard Johnson in 1982.
Can you stand a couple more?
There have been four Tigers players all-time who posted at least 10 doubles in the first 25 games of a season: Brennan Boesch (10 in 2010), Barney McCosky (11 in 1939), John Stone (10 in 1928) and McGonigle.
And, again going into play Friday, McGonigle’s 1.7 bWAR (Baseball Reference) was fourth-best in baseball behind Yordan Alvarez (1.8), Nico Hoerner (1.8) and Jordan Walker (1.8). Of those four, only one is younger than 24 years old.
You already know.
Tigers at Reds
First pitch: 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
TV/radio: Fox/97.1 FM
Scouting report
RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 3.47), Tigers: After strong starts against the Twins and Royals, his delivery got out of whack in Boston. He walked six in 3⅓ innings. There is nothing wrong with his stuff. He’s holding hitters to a .222 average with his four-seamer and slider and a .176 average with a 41.7% whiff rate with the knuckle-curve. When the command is there, the good version of Jack Flaherty is generally there, as well.
RHP Brady Singer (1-1, 5.32), Reds: He’s been a nemesis, going back to his years with the Royals. He’s 7-1 with 3.16 ERA in 14 starts against the Tigers. But he’s still trying to get his footing this season. He’s coming off two quality starts, but he’s got a lofty WHIP (1.648) and he’s allowed 32 hits in 23⅔ innings with an opponent OPS of .863. The velocity on his fastball is down nearly 2 mph.
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: What Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle and Joe DiMaggio have in common right now
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
