Detroit Tigers phenom Kevin McGonigle, ESPN’s No. 2 prospect for the 2026 season, will be on the Opening Day roster, it was announced Tuesday.
The 21-year-old McGonigle, an infielder with an above-average bat and real baserunning/defensive value, was the 37th pick in the 2023 draft and has never played above the Double-A level, where he saw action in only 46 games last season.
“It was all about baseball,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Tuesday. “It was all about winning. We kept returning to the idea that we are trying to win as many games as we can. We are trying to win the World Series. If Kevin McGonigle helps us get there …
“There’s a lot of work to be done. He’s still an unfinished product. That development needs to continue at the major league level. We feel the preparations and his routines that he developed during spring were foundational enough to make him part of this.”