Tigers fans get friendly reminder of high-profile top prospect to follow after Kevin McGonigle graduates

While Detroit Tigers fans have spent the entire offseason locked in on whether top prospect Kevin McGonigle would make the team's Opening Day roster, it has become easy to forget about Bryce Rainer as he returns from his shoulder injury.

But Rainer provided fans a reminder that he is still right there by lacing an opposite field single in the game to drive in a run during Detroit's Spring Breakout game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bryce Rainer is the next Tigers prospect to watch after Kevin McGonigle graduates to big leagues

Rainer is the No. 3 ranked prospect in Detroit's system. He is known for his power and the young shortstop also has a cannon of an arm, but the 20-year-old was robbed of most of his development in 2025 due to a dislocated shoulder he suffered in June of last year.

Thankfully, he is back on the field and healthy. He played in 35 games last year in the Florida State League and in that relatively small sample size he impressed, slashing .288/.383/.448 with five home runs and 22 runs batted in. He has a chance to build upon that in 2026 in the minor leagues.

We now know that McGonigle is going to debut with the Tigers this season. Upon his graduation to the big league level, all eyes will turn to Rainer as the next big prospect to keep an eye on in the organization.

It will be interesting to see how the Tigers end up handling McGonigle and Rainer since they both play shortstop. Both are gifted enough defensively to move around the infield with ease so it is not hard to imagine the two players playing up the middle for the Tigers for years to come.

It may take time for Rainer to make it to the big leagues, and the Tigers will certainly not be in any rush to promote him. He is just 20 years and old and one prediction has him making his MLB debut in 2028 so patience is going to be the best practice with the California native especially with him coming off a significant injury.

The debate over McGonigle and whether is ready for the big leagues has dominated the headlines throughout the offseason, but do not be surprised if this exact same debate plays out all over again a couple years down the road with Rainer.