Baseball America’s evaluation of Kevin McGonigle draws comps to one of MLB's top stars

The Detroit Tigers' relatively quiet offseason means that when Scott Harris said back in October that he expected the club's top prospects from Double-A to become factors in the big league equation in 2026, he wasn't kidding.

While that might bring about some uneasiness in certain cases, one youngster fans can't wait to see is Kevin McGonigle, the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball. The 21-year-old spent his 2025 season racing through the system, rising from Single-A Lakeland all the way up to Double-A Erie, slashing .305/.408/.583 with 19 homers across all three levels, and capped his year by destroying Arizona Fall League competition, taking home MVP honors in the process.

Fans might not be on the same page with Harris on a good number of things, but in the case of McGonigle, they might be even more excited than the Tigers executive at the prospect of him getting the chance to show off his talents at the big league level in 2026.

And that enthusiasm should only grow after hearing that Baseball America just compared the Tigers' stud prospect's hit tool to none other than Toronto Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle's superb hit tool has him being compared to Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Baseball America (subscription required) awarded 80 grades to the tools of just nine players ahead of the 2026 season, with McGonigle being the first player since Vladdy Jr. to be rated that highly for his ability to rack up hits.

To put this in context, the same publication often compared the Blue Jays' $500 million man to legendary hitters Manny Ramirez and Frank Thomas. So while McGonigle, at 187 pounds, won't generate the same type of power as the 245-pound second-generation star, he can still spray line drives around the yard with the very best. And of course, just because he might not have a 40-homer future, that doesn't mean that the 37th overall pick in the 2023 draft can't turn on a pitch and drive it out of the ballpark with frequency.

The most impressive thing about McGonigle is his elite plate discipline and feel for the strike zone. Last season, he posted 59 walks against only 46 strikeouts in 397 minor league plate appearances. He'd also post more walks than Ks in the AFL.

The youngster has superstar written all over him, but it is important to temper expectations. Even the best of the best can go through an acclimation period when they reach the majors, and even if McGonigle has some initial struggles when he inevitably arrives, that doesn't mean his future isn't incredibly bright.