Emergence of Kevin McGonigle might've had Tigers fans forget about another elite prospect

Detroit Tigers fans have understandably been abuzz thanks to top prospect Kevin McGonigle's torrid start to the season. However, the team's next big prospect to watch has already done enough in the minors to earn a promotion. Bryce Rainer is a name to keep an eye on.

Rainer was just promoted to High-A West Michigan after starting the season in the Florida State League, where he had the hardest hit ball in the entire league at 116 MPH. His overall numbers weren't all that impressive, as he hit .167/.265/.310 with one homer and five runs batted in.

The 20-year-old also struck out 20 times in 49 at-bats, which is a bit alarming considering he'll be facing a higher level of competition in High-A.

Rainer will have to adjust after High-A promotion

Rainer's hard-hit rate is impressive, though. If he can keep on squaring the ball up, it wouldn't be a huge shock if he works his way up through the minors fairly quickly. He's obviously going to have to make contact at a higher rate, though.

Last year in the Florida State League, after he was drafted 11th overall by Detroit out of high school in California, he hit .288/.383/.488 with five homers and 22 RBI, so maybe the 11 games he had this season are too small of a sample size to overreact to.

It was easy to forget about Rainer after his shoulder injury which limited him to just 35 games in 2025. Now that he's back and he's healthy, what matters most is that he tries to continue his progression in the minor leagues.

He's got a great arm, which makes sense given that he used to be a pitcher. His defense needs work, but he is likely not going to be playing shortstop too much after McGonigle locked it down by signing his long-term extension.

It's hard not to get excited about the prospect of McGonigle and Rainer up the middle for the Tigers in the future, though. Entering play on Friday, McGonigle is hitting .319/.407/.500 with one homer and 11 runs batted in. He's walked 14 times to 14 strikeouts.

Rainer is probably a few years away from making it to the big leagues, but if he can refine his approach at the plate in the minors while still hitting the ball hard, he may be playing alongside McGonigle in just a few short years.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow