Tigers fans may need to slow their roll on Kevin McGonigle's chances of breaking camp

One of the biggest questions of the Tigers' offseason is whether or not No. 1 prospect Kevin McGonigle will be on the 2026 Opening Day roster. If his showing the Arizona Fall League — .362 average with a 1.210 OPS, for which he earned AFL MVP honors — is any indication, he looks pretty ready for the majors.

However, the Tigers' infield, overcrowded as it is, will be a puzzle to solve during spring training. Only Gleyber Torres and maybe Spencer Torkelson have their roles totally locked up, but shortstop and third base will be open to competition.

As good a hitter McGonigle could be, there are fewer glowing reviews for his defense at short. He can't move to second with Torres there through 2026, and third base has sort of been the Tigers' island of misfit toys over the last few seasons. Zach McKinstry, Colt Keith, Matt Vierling, and Javy Báez will all be considerations at the hot corner.

Plus, McGonigle hasn't actually gotten past Double-A yet. The Tigers could fast-track him based on what he's already done, but Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press doesn't see that happening. He wrote that McGonigle isn't expected to be on next year's Opening Day roster.

Tigers don't expect Kevin McGonigle to skip Triple-A and make Detroit's Opening Day roster

Petzold notes that the Tigers usually don't like to cut corners with their top prospects. Torkelson, Keith, and Riley Greene all played in at least 50 Triple-A games before they were promoted for their MLB debuts. Even though pitchers are more frequently fast-tracked than position players, Detroit had Jackson Jobe throw at least a few innings in Toledo before he was called up.

And, as noted, the Tigers are not hurting for infielders, and it'll only get more complicated if they do manage to sign Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette. The Tigers have always liked using McKinstry and Vierling at basically every position except catcher, but Keith and Báez, who didn't really have true homes in 2025, might be in for more nomadic existences next year too.

McGonigle's bat could give the offense the jolt that it was missing all throughout the second half of the season, but it does make sense that the Tigers would rather not rush him as the difficulty gap between Triple-A and the majors continues to widen. We can probably still expect McGonigle to be a consideration at some point in 2026, but we'll have to temper our expectations for Opening Day.