Hopefully he does really well there, and forces The Tigers to at least consider bringing him up.
I would love to see the duo playing in the big leagues come September…but only if they are ready.
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Freep: Kevin McGonigle gets rave reviews from Tigers great Alan Trammell
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… What do you think of Kevin McGonigle?” I asked Trammell, the Detroit Tigers special assistant to the general manager.
“I love him,” Trammell said, with no hesitation, of the Tigers’ top prospect.
Love? That’s a huge word, right? Especially coming from a Hall of Fame shortstop talking about another shortstop who is just 21 years old and has never played above Double-A Erie.
“I love what he brings to the table every day,” Trammell said. “He brings it every day.”
Does that suggest that McGonigle will break camp with the Tigers? No.
But it is another example of how the Tigers are doing everything possible to get him comfortable with the big league club, giving him every chance to get comfortable playing alongside second baseman Gleyber Torres and see if he can handle the moment. At this stage, it seems inevitable that McGonigle will play in Detroit at some point in 2026. The only question is when.
Just for the sake of comparison and to put things in perspective, Trammell was 19 when he made his Tigers debut on Sept. 9, 1977 – just over a year after he was drafted.
So far in this camp, McGonigle has looked comfortable and poised, whether it’s doing work on the field with the starting infielders, showing off his offense by cracking a homer in live batting practice like he did Thursday, dealing with the media like a veteran or even hanging out before practice in the clubhouse with Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, both of whom sit near him.
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“No, he’s gonna stink [at times],” Trammell said. “He’s gonna have some bad days. That’s baseball, but he’s able to come back the next day and put it behind him. He’s very intense.”
Just like McGonigle’s idol, Chase Utley, the six-time All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillies.
“That’s a good one to idolize,” Trammell said. “He’s not his mentor, because he hasn’t even met him yet. He will. But again, for me, Chase Utley was a guy that got after it. He got after it every day, a guy that brings it and was talented.”
Just like McGonigle.
“He’s talented, but he’s intense,” Trammell said.
Another thing to like
Trammell has also been impressed by McGonigle’s willingness to learn.
“He’s a sponge,” Trammell said. “He wants to get better. And you know, he’s now learning some different positions.”
McGonigle played both shortstop and third base while winning the Arizona Fall League MVP.
“He played it quite well,” Trammell said.
Can McGonigle play shortstop in the big leagues?
That’s what everybody wants to know, right?
Well, in Trammell’s estimation, he can.
“He could play short,” Trammell said. “Yeah, he could play short. So the value again, in this day and age with the industry, everybody moving around, that’s how it is. But he’s so coachable. He’s going to do everything you ask. That’s just his mentality and how he was brought up. He’s a great kid, and he fits right in. Now, I don’t know how it’s gonna play out. We haven’t played any games yet, but you’re gonna be impressed because he brings it.”
To be clear, Trammell did not offer any clue on when McGonigle might make it to Detroit.
But it’s clear that it won’t be long, as has been repeated by Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
“He’s not that far away now,” Trammell said. “Obviously, we know he’s a good player. He’s one of our best. We have a few.”
Impressed by the prospects
Yes, the Tigers do have a few.
In some ways, McGonigle is lucky to be a prized prospect at a time when the Tigers have several legit, high-profile prospects.
Outfielder Max Clark, who has an electric personality – and is the No. 10 ranked prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline – takes some of the pressure and attention away from McGonigle.
But so does Josue Briceño, a power hitter ranked No. 40 by MLB Pipeline.
More than anything, Trammell loves the toughness of these prospects, all of whom bat left-handed and have no fear about facing a lefty pitcher.
“They all hit lefties,” he said. “They hang in there. They’re not bailing out. No, they battle their [butts] off against those guys, which is something that I see, I like and that just tells you a little bit about their toughness.”
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Unknown to some but I know a few guys who like this kid a lot.
Freep: Tigers observations: Why unknown prospect thought he was being pranked
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Imagine you’re Detroit Tigers pitcher Jake Miller.
You walk into the clubhouse and can’t find your locker, only to learn it’s been moved to a different location in a row of fellow starting pitchers.
You’re an under-the-radar prospect who doesn’t believe what you’re seeing when you find your new locker.
“I thought I was getting pranked at first,” Miller said.
To your left: Casey Mize.
To your right: Jack Flaherty.
A few steps away: Tarik Skubal, Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez.
…He called his dad after learning his locker situation wasn’t a prank.
“I told him who I was around,” Miller said. “He was pumped up, too.”
His new locker mates are happy to have him.
They’ve all been in his shoes before.
“When you talk to prospects, it’s important to get those guys comfortable,” said Skubal, once an under-the-radar prospect as a ninth-round pick in the 2018 draft. “I want to make those guys confident, so that way when they contribute, whenever it is, they make an impact on our team in a positive way.”
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“I think it’s up to us to make him feel comfortable,” said Skubal, the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner. “Talk to him, ‘Hey, you need a water? You need a banana?’ Whatever it is, make him feel comfortable.”
Miller isn’t a top-100 prospect.
But the Tigers are aware of his potential.
“We like Jake Miller quite a bit,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “We think that he’s one of our better starting pitching prospects.”
NEW THREADS: Tigers reveal new orange, navy alternate uniforms
The Tigers added Miller to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft in December, all while he recovered from labral repair surgery on both hips. The 24-year-old left-hander was selected in the eighth round of the 2022 draft out of Valparaiso University.
“We’re going to take it slow with him because the innings are going to be really important for him this year,” Harris said, “but we think he’s going to impact us in the big leagues. It’s just a matter of when.”
Injuries limited Miller to just six starts in 2025, including four in Double-A Erie, where he posted a 2.12 ERA with four walks and 16 strikeouts across 17 innings. He underwent double hip surgery in October, but he remains in rehab mode.
“I just started playing catch,” said Miller, who has been in TigerTown since the first week of January. “Games can’t come soon enough. I’m hoping by June that I’ll be back in there.”
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DetNews: Tigers’ ‘Kerry Clutch’ looks to build on torrid finish in '25
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Tigers manager AJ Hinch was asked on Wednesday if he believed in a big-game gene. Are some players more wired than others to produce in the biggest moments and under the brightest lights?
“I believe in big-game process,” he said. “The guys who can control their emotions or feed into it, either way. Like, not everybody does it the same way. It’s not a one-size-fits-all magic pill to get guys to play their best at the biggest moments.
“There are some guys who are comfortable immediately and some guys who learn to be comfortable.”
Kerry Carpenter has emerged as a player who thrives in those moments.
“Praise God for that,” Carpenter said. “I just love playing in those environments.”
His dramatic home run off Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase in Game 2 of the ALDS in 2024 put Carpenter’s clutch gene on the map. And last season, he was the Tigers’ most consistent offensive presence in the postseason, hitting two homers, slugging .500 with a .910 OPS.
“I felt like I had my swing back,” he said. “I didn’t walk at all last year. I just couldn’t find it. Then in the playoffs I had it again and I walked a bunch.”
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That pretty much explains Carpenter’s first three months last year. He was trying to play through soreness in his hamstring. In the month of June, he hit .224 with 18 strikeouts and no walks.
That’s when he pulled the plug and went on the injured list.
“I feel like last year as a whole was not my best season at the plate,” he said. “But toward the end, coming off the IL and the way the season ended, it all clicked again.”
In the final 52 games of the season, Carpenter hit 10 homers, knocked in 30 runs, posting a .500 slugging percentage and .801 OPS. Not too shabby. There were other positives to take out of the entire season, as well.
He ended up playing in a career-high 130 games, with a career-high 464 plate appearances and he still produced 26 homers. But the fact that his walk rate dropped from 7.4 percent to 3.9 percent gave him clear direction this offseason.
“I tried to stick to what I was doing in 2024 versus what I was doing last year and how I felt each time,” he said. “My swing in 2024 was significantly better. Just studying what those swings looked like, remembering what they felt like, remembering the approach, remembering what I was doing in spring training just to get me there.”
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Sorry that tweets don’t embed anymore.
Video on the link for those that use Twitter
Blake Snell talks about giving up a Grand Slam to Miggy on the same day that Miggy hits a grand slam off him. Gets to his locker and the signed jersey is hanging in the middle of his locker.
https://x.com/BBGreatMoments/status/2024672907058676161?s=20
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https://x.com/i/status/2024863287012171854
I wonder if this helps out McGonigle for making the team, especially if Sweeney will be down for a while.
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I am going to be flying into Tampa on March 1st to meet my wife and drive back with her to TN. Figured I might go see the Tigers on Sunday since I am down there.
$69 for the Berm and Runway and $159 for 3rd base side, WTH???
Preseason game and they are asking those prices.
F&%K that!
That was thru Ticketcenter, guess I could try a few other ticket outlets
SeatGeek has better prices, about $65 for 200 section on 3rd base
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At the Bama baseball game…Justin Lebron just put the second pitch he saw over the batters’ eye.
Future MLB star.
Let me know if you make it , I was thinking of going to that game as well . I will be in lakeland no matter what for part of that day I have to drive to miami later sunday.
I can give you brewery recommendations for Tampa to.
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Just got done reading the thread, can’t wait for Tiger’s baseball.
Moral of the story, @frm710 should be on the Tiger’s payroll as a top spreading the message man
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Not sure what this means, ie is it free, part of the mlb package etc but…
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the YES Network at 1 p.m., with streaming available at MLB.com or on Fubo (free subscription trial). It will also be on 97.1 FM.
Possibly on some other method as well…
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Thank you.
I absolutely love baseball probably my favorite. Watching the minor leagues in person and online seeing these kids chase their dreams. The tougher it gets at each level til the biggest jump of all to MLB. It’s a hard sport to play, toughest in my mind, and why I get irritated when I hear the “he’s trash” comments etc .
Anyways, here’s to a fun season of baseball series threads!!!
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https://x.com/i/status/2025200775756927340
Tigers lineup today at New York Yankees in Grapefruit League opener:
Jahmai Jones (RF)
Kevin McGonigle (SS)
Gleyber Torres (2B)
Colt Keith (3B)
Jake Rogers (DH)
Jace Jung (1B)
Trei Cruz (CF)
Eduardo Valencia(C)
Corey Julks (LF)
Keider Montero (RHPp
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It’s supposed to be on MLB.TV. YES is almost always on there.
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Our game is actually the free game of the day on MLB TV.
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McGonigle with a single in his first ST AB.
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Kevin McGonigle base hit in his first ST plate appearance??
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And he scored???
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