Kevin McGonigle's Tigers debut couldn't come faster after Arizona Fall League feat

The Tigers' run of dominance in the Arizona Fall League continued this year, when Kevin McGonigle was named AFL MVP. McGonigle, Detroit's No. 1 prospect (and No. 2 overall in baseball), hit .362 with a 1.210 OPS with five homers, 19 RBI, and more walks than strikeouts in 19 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

His win marks back-to-back MVPs for Tigers prospects after Josue Briceño (Tigers' No. 3 prospect) did it in 2024.

Detroit is mostly focused on pitching this offseason, and for good reason. There's no clear No. 2 starter, and the bullpen has arguably only three arms who are guaranteed a roster spot in 2026.

The offense, while less of a concern, is still in need of some major help that could come in the form of Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, or another high-priced free agent, but fans might be even more excited about McGonigle's debut than we are about the possibility of the Tigers pulling off of a big deal.

McGonigle hasn't even gotten to Triple-A yet, but the Tigers might not need to see more than they already have to add him to the Opening Day roster. He'll certainly be in spring training competing for a spot, and he could save the Tigers a lot of money in the process.

Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle could leapfrog Triple-A after earning Arizona Fall League MVP honors

McGonigle has a better shot of breaking camp to make the major league roster than Nos. 2 and 3 prospects Max Clark and Briceño, but for good reason. He hit .254 with a .919 OPS in 46 Double-A games to Clark's .251/.799 and Briceño's .232/.716, and he showed no signs of stopping in the AFL.

The question is where the Tigers would put McGonigle in their crowded infield. If Gleyber Torres accepts the qualifying offer, second base is covered for at least one more season, and Colt Keith will probably take most of his reps at third, where McGonigle spent a fair amount of time throughout AFL play. He's a shortstop by trade, so he could force the Tigers to either trade or demote Trey Sweeney and move Javy Báez to the outfield more regularly.

If the Tigers are really focused on adding McGonigle by Opening Day, though, they'll do whatever it takes to accommodate him (though he might have competition in spring training with fellow AFL standout Max Anderson), and fans certainly wouldn't complain.