Kevin McGonigle Stats & Scouting Report

AB	345
AVG	.31
OBP	.412
SLG	.443
HR	6

Full name Kevin McGonigle
Born 08/18/2004 in Aldan, PA
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Monsignor Bonner HS, Drexel Hill, Penn.
Drafted in the CB-A round (37th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2023 (signed for $2,847,500).

View Draft Report

School: Monsignor Bonner HS, Drexel Hill, Penn. Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Auburn
Age At Draft: 18.9
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 45.

McGonigle is one of the elite pure hitters in the 2023 high school class. His track record of hitting—whether it’s in high school, on the summer circuit or leading the USA 18U National Team to a gold medal last year—is outstanding. He consistently strings together quality at-bats with a mature offensive approach and rarely strikes out. He has a tight, efficient swing with quick hands, good bat path through the hitting zone and an accurate barrel. McGonigle stays balanced, tracks pitches well and has the adjustability in his swing to find the sweet spot against pitches throughout the strike zone for hard contact to all fields. He looks comfortable whether he’s facing righties or lefties, high velocity or secondary stuff, and he has hit well against older, more advanced pitching as well. McGonigle’s hitting ability stands out the most, but he has shown more power over the last year with a chance to hit 20-plus home runs. McGonigle has run average times in the 60-yard dash, though he’s typically below that home to first. While he’s not the explosive athlete a lot of scouts prefer to have at shortstop, McGonigle is a smart, savvy player whose instincts stand out both in the batter’s box and in the field. He has the actions, internal clock and footwork to stick in the middle infield and should get a chance to develop at shortstop, though a lot of scouts see his range and fringe-average arm strength fitting best at second base.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 60/High.

Track Record: A supplemental first-round pick in 2023, McGonigle got off to a late start in 2024 because of a spring training hamstring injury. But once he reached Low-A Lakeland, he was arguably the best player in the Florida State League during the first half of the season. Among FSL hitters with 200 or more plate appearances, McGonigle finished with the third-best batting average (.326), best on-base percentage (.407) and fourth-best slugging percentage (.470). He and Max Clark were promoted to High-A West Michigan on July 23, but McGonigle’s season ended just two weeks later when he sustained a hamate injury in his right hand that required surgery.

Scouting Report: McGonigle was viewed as one of the most polished hitters in the 2023 draft class, but in almost every aspect, his play as a pro has exceeded expectations. He uses the whole field, and he has fewer holes to attack than most young hitters. He has elite contact skills, as evidenced by a 8.5% strikeout rate that was sixth-best in the minors in 2024. He rarely chases out of the zone, and when he swings, he connects. Encouragingly, McGonigle also showed power gains in 2024. His 90th percentile exit velocity of 103 mph and top-end exit velocity near 111 mph were the same as Max Clark. Defensively, McGonigle has a plausible shot to stay at shortstop. He doesn’t have exceptional range, but his above-average arm plays well, and his hands and feet are good enough for him to stay up the middle. At worst, he should be an above-average defender at second base.

The Future: It’s not hard to find scouts who believe McGonigle is the Tigers’ best position prospect. His potential at the plate combined with better-than-expected infield defense make him a player with a high likelihood of being a regular with a high ceiling as a potential all-star shortstop or second baseman.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55.
BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: Acquiring hitters who can control the strike zone and have a clear plan at the plate is a point of emphasis in drafts under president of baseball operations Scott Harris. So after picking the sweet-swinging Max Clark with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, the Tigers added McGonigle, another bat-first prep prospect with advanced hitting skills, in the supplemental first round. Drafted 37th overall, McGonigle signed for a bit shy of $2.9 million, and more than $500,000 over slot. He demonstrated his hitting instincts in the Florida Complex and Florida State leagues in his pro debut, reaching base in his first 17 games and 19 of 21 games overall.

Scouting Report: McGonigle has a long track record of hitting against top opposition in showcases and international competitions, including an impressive stint with USA Baseball’s gold medal-winning 18U national team in 2022. He has the barrel control and adjustability in his hands to stay on pitches even when he’s fooled initially. McGonigle doesn’t show massive power in batting practice, but his bat-to-ball skills makes him a threat to line balls to the gap and clear the fence from time to time. Drafted as a shortstop, McGonigle’s likely long-term position is second base. He’s average there with a fringe-average but accurate arm that is less stretched on the right side of the infield. He won’t embarrass himself at shortstop and has a solid internal clock, but a big league team should have better options.

The Future: The pairing of McGonigle and Max Clark should make Low-A Lakeland one of the most entertaining and dangerous lineups in the Florida State League to start 2024. Both players have shots to get to High-A West Michigan before long, thanks to their advanced approaches. McGonigle is a bat-first infielder, but he faces fewer defensive questions than some other recent hit-first Tigers’ infielders.

Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45

Draft Prospects

School: Monsignor Bonner HS, Drexel Hill, Penn. Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Auburn
Age At Draft: 18.9
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 45.

McGonigle is one of the elite pure hitters in the 2023 high school class. His track record of hitting—whether it’s in high school, on the summer circuit or leading the USA 18U National Team to a gold medal last year—is outstanding. He consistently strings together quality at-bats with a mature offensive approach and rarely strikes out. He has a tight, efficient swing with quick hands, good bat path through the hitting zone and an accurate barrel. McGonigle stays balanced, tracks pitches well and has the adjustability in his swing to find the sweet spot against pitches throughout the strike zone for hard contact to all fields. He looks comfortable whether he’s facing righties or lefties, high velocity or secondary stuff, and he has hit well against older, more advanced pitching as well. McGonigle’s hitting ability stands out the most, but he has shown more power over the last year with a chance to hit 20-plus home runs. McGonigle has run average times in the 60-yard dash, though he’s typically below that home to first. While he’s not the explosive athlete a lot of scouts prefer to have at shortstop, McGonigle is a smart, savvy player whose instincts stand out both in the batter’s box and in the field. He has the actions, internal clock and footwork to stick in the middle infield and should get a chance to develop at shortstop, though a lot of scouts see his range and fringe-average arm strength fitting best at second base.

Top 100 Rankings

Career Transactions

SS Kevin McGonigle assigned to Detroit Tigers.
West Michigan Whitecaps placed SS Kevin McGonigle on the 7-day injured list.
SS Kevin McGonigle assigned to West Michigan Whitecaps from Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Lakeland Flying Tigers activated SS Kevin McGonigle from the 7-day injured list.
Lakeland Flying Tigers placed SS Kevin McGonigle on the 7-day injured list.
Lakeland Flying Tigers placed SS Kevin McGonigle on the 7-day injured list.
SS Kevin McGonigle assigned to FCL Tigers.
Detroit Tigers signed SS Kevin McGonigle.