Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark's bond could make them Tigers' best dynamic duo in years

The Tigers are the only organization in baseball who have two prospects in MLB Pipeline's top 10: Kevin McGonigle at No. 2 and Max Clark at No. 10.

They're the same age, were drafted in the same year, and have worked their way up to through the minors in lockstep. They were promoted to Single-A together, then High-A, then Double-A. Clark wore No. 84 in spring training; McGonigle's wearing No. 85.

But this year, their paths may diverge for the first time in their professional careers. Clark has already been reassigned to minor league camp, while the Tigers are probably going to delay their decision on McGonigle's immediate future until the very end of spring training.

Still, Clark seems likely to figure into the Tigers' major league plans down the line this season — probably in August, so he'll still be PPI eligible in 2027. If McGonigle is in the lineup come Opening Day, it would reunite a pair that Clark likened to Chase Utley and Bryce Harper.

They had nothing but glowing reviews for each other. McGonigle said, "We both go through struggles. We both get to talk to each other and help each other get through them. We also like to push each other. We keep getting better and better just from pushing each other, and I look forward to keep moving up with him. Great baseball player. Better human."

Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark are giving Tigers fans everything to look forward to in 2026

The contrast in McGonigle and Clark's personalities is obvious just by watching them play the game. McGonigle is the grinder who keeps his head down; Clark is the firebrand who punches back at critics about his chains and eye black. McGonigle's the power hitter; Clark's the slap hitter.

Clark said of McGonigle: "Having that guy by my side every single day is a special feeling because he knows things about me and I know things about him. When we're down and we're struggling — or even when we're having success — we can bounce everything off each other. The amount of times that dude has pulled me out of a slump by just telling me to hit the damn ball and not think about it is crazy. … It's more than teammates at this point. We're best friends."

It gives Tigers fans a lot to be excited for when the both of them get to the majors. Jeff Passan even predicted that McGonigle would be hitting atop the lineup with Clark right behind him by October.

The Tigers have had a few lopsided duos in recent years — Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Both still have a lot of work to do, but McGonigle and Clark could be the best Detroit has produced in years.