SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Remember the 2023 MLB Draft?
The Detroit Tigers evaluated Kevin McGonigle – the No. 37 overall pick – as a long-term shortstop out of high school, but many scouts and analysts believed before draft day that he wouldn’t be able to stick at shortstop, projecting an eventual move to second or third base.
Entering 2026, McGonigle is on the doorstep of his MLB debut.
The 21-year-old has developed into one of the best hitting prospects in recent history with smart swing decisions and advanced bat-to-ball skills. He then answered the biggest question about his game in spring training, proving he can lock down shortstop in the big leagues.
“He’s been very, very good on defense,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
There’s a reason for that.
McGonigle had a below-average first step throughout his career in the minor leagues, but he compensated by taking above-average angles to the ball – allowing him to survive at shortstop.
This spring, his first step has improved with an adjustment through lessons from infield coaches Joey Cora and Billy Boyer.
And he is thriving at shortstop.
“I’m just getting to a lot of balls that last year I didn’t really have a shot at,” said McGonigle, who hasn’t played above Double-A Erie but is still waiting to find out whether he will be on the Tigers’ Opening Day roster or report to Triple-A Toledo.
It all starts with pre-pitch preparation.
“That’s the biggest thing the Tigers have been hammering on,” McGonigle said. “I worked on it all offseason. If you get to the ball quicker, you have more time to get it over to first base.”
The pre-pitch is a defensive movement – a small hop forward – that helps infielders and outfielders improve their first-step reaction time, which had been a weakness in McGonigle’s game.
In this case, McGonigle takes two small steps as the pitcher releases the ball, then times a hop just before the ball crosses the plate. He lands on contact to put himself in an athletic position to explode into his first step.
He repeats the movement on every pitch.
“With the younger players, it generally revolves around timing and consistency,” Hinch said. “He’s been early in the minor leagues, and he’s been late in the minor leagues. Now, I think he’s starting to be more consistent.”
This isn’t a new skill.
It’s the refinement of something he has been doing, both at shortstop and third base. The landing spot changes based on his position, but the movement is the same, as is the importance of staying balanced to avoid favoring one side when he lands.
“I’m learning the same pre-pitch, but I’m landing more open towards the field,” McGonigle said, discussing his movements at third base. “I’m still working on that, still getting used to it, because I’m still new over there, but I felt very comfortable.”
During spring training, McGonigle earned praise from Tigers pitchers for his defense at both positions.
He impressed two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal with a series of athletic plays at shortstop, including two double plays and a difficult groundout. He also impressed three-time AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander with a diving play down the line at third base, taking away extra bases.
“Everybody knows the bat, right?” Skubal said. “He’s going to hit. But you get to watch the defense, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, this is a complete baseball player.’ It’s not a surprise why he’s the player he is.”
“That can make the difference in a ballgame,” Verlander said. “Those are huge momentum shifts for me. Even if he would’ve just held it to a single, I would’ve said, ‘Great play.’ But to get an out, it’s a momentum booster.”
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The pre-pitch preparation is translating on the field.
Less than three years ago, McGonigle wasn’t expected to stick at shortstop by the time he made his MLB debut.
Now, he is ready for the big leagues.
And he looks like the Tigers’ shortstop of the future.
“It doesn’t really matter who’s on the mound,” McGonigle said. “I’m always prepared for that ground ball or that fly ball. My mindset is being prepared every pitch for the ball to be hit to me.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kevin McGonigle becomes MLB-ready shortstop with pre-pitch consistency
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
