Rookie of the Year might just be the start for Kevin McGonigle when all is said and done

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Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle has been a flash of light and hope in what has otherwise been a rollercoaster of a season for the Tigers. He seems well on his way to winning American League Rookie of the Year, but that may just be the start in what could blossom into a truly special career.

Tigers PR recently released a stat showing that through 100 games on the season, McGonigle’s bWAR on the season was 4.9, tied for the highest mark in the AL. That suggests that he’s not only the best rookie in the AL, he might just be one of the best players in the American League. Is MVP chatter premature?

Probably for the 2026 season, yes. Entering Thursday, he was hitting .282/.388/.422 with 11 home runs, 42 RBI, and 11 stolen bases on the season. Those are very solid numbers, but they do not exactly scream MVP.

It’s undeniable that McGonigle is one of the best talents in the AL, though. He is a supremely skilled contact hitter with a great eye who has 71 walks compared to 68 strikeouts on the season. He shows the plate discipline of a veteran with 10 seasons under his belt, not a 21-year-old rookie.

Starting in 2027 though, McGonigle should be on MVP watch. He’s got all the tools to do it but the big thing will be getting the attention to make his case. That will come with time, but there is recent precedent for an undersized infielder becoming MVP.

McGonigle will have to reach some certain numbers to win MVP

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was the AL MVP in 2017. That season, Altuve hit .346/.410./.547 with 24 home runs, 81 runs batted in, and 32 stolen bases. It may take something similar for McGonigle to get his hands on some more hardware.

He’s a contact guy and he’s never going to be a 40-homer player, so he absolutely has the have a high batting average to get the job done, probably even the highest in the league. He has enough pop that he could hit 20-25 homers in a season, which is all he needs as long as the rest of his numbers are strong.

Another way he could boost his case is by improving defensively. He grades out as average both at shortstop and third base, but if he eventually settles in as the team’s everyday shortstop and can win a Gold Glove or two, that will help him make an overall case for why he deserves the award over everyone else.

While it might feel premature to think about a McGonigle MVP campaign, it isn’t based on his numbers. Just ask some of the game's superstars and they'll tell you how good he is. He seems like the kind of player who is destined to do great things in the game of baseball, and he's just getting started in 2026.

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