Tigers Add Prospect McGonigle to Opening Day Roster

Detroit, March 24, 2026 – The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday that 21-year-old shortstop Kevin McGonigle, baseball's consensus No. 2 prospect, has earned a spot on the team's Opening Day roster and is set to make his major league debut Thursday in a 4:10 p.m. game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

McGonigle, a left-handed batter selected by the Tigers with the 37th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in New York, has risen swiftly through the minors. In his professional career, he has appeared in 183 games, compiling a .308 batting average with a .410 on-base percentage and .512 slugging percentage, along with 25 home runs and 40 stolen bases. Injuries, including a hamstring issue in 2024 and an ankle problem early in 2025, slowed his progress at times, but once healthy, he excelled. Last season, he began in Low-A Lakeland, advanced to High-A West Michigan where he hit .372 with a .462 on-base percentage and .648 slugging in 36 games, and then moved to Double-A Erie for 46 games, posting a .919 OPS and 12 home runs. He capped the year as the MVP of the Arizona Fall League, slashing .362/.500/.710 with five homers in 19 games.