Detroit Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg stated on Wednesday, Aug. 20, that highly regarded prospect Kevin McGonigle is not currently being considered for a September call-up when rosters expand.
While Greenberg didn’t completely shut the door on the idea, his comments strongly suggest that McGonigle is unlikely to make his MLB debut this season. Drafted 37th overall by Detroit in 2023, the 21-year-old shortstop has surged through the minor league system over the past three years, consistently outperforming expectations.
Splitting time across three affiliates in 2025, McGonigle has been outstanding. Now with Double-A Erie, he’s posted seven home runs in 29 games and carries an impressive .950 OPS. Overall, he’s hitting .325 with a 1.000-plus OPS, 14 homers, and 66 RBIs.
Given Detroit’s deep infield, there’s little urgency to rush him to the big leagues. Javier Báez has been steady at shortstop despite some ups and downs, and Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, and Gleyber Torres give the Tigers one of the most reliable infields in baseball.
McGonigle Part of Standout Trio
Kevin McGonigle is one of three top prospects making waves in the Tigers’ farm system alongside Max Clark and Josue Briceño. All three were promoted from High-A to Double-A at the same time and have advanced through the minors together as a group.
In the same interview where GM Jeff Greenberg said McGonigle wasn’t expected to receive a September call-up, he also noted that Clark and Briceño aren’t in the plans for a late-season promotion either.
Clark, like McGonigle, was part of Detroit’s 2023 draft class, selected third overall. Widely viewed as having the highest upside of any Tigers prospect, the 20-year-old has posted numbers nearly on par with McGonigle’s. This season, Clark is hitting .282 with 12 home runs, 59 RBIs, and an .867 OPS.
Briceño, the third member of Detroit’s highly touted prospect trio, has showcased impressive power this season with 19 home runs. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound catcher brings significant upside at the plate and has the physical tools to develop into a key piece of the Tigers’ long-term plans.
Tigers Have No. 6 Farm System
After opening the 2025 season with the league’s top-ranked farm system, the Tigers have since slipped to No. 6 in MLB’s midseason rankings. Much of that drop stems from the promotion of former top prospect Jackson Jobe to the big leagues, along with injuries impacting several young pitchers in the lower levels of the system.
Despite the dip, Detroit still boasts one of the deepest talent pools in baseball, featuring four players in MLB’s top 100 prospects: Kevin McGonigle (No. 2), Max Clark (No. 9), Josue Briceño (No. 32), and Bryce Rainer (No. 35). Both McGonigle and Rainer play shortstop, which could give the Tigers valuable trade flexibility in the future if they look to bolster their MLB roster.
With a legitimate World Series-caliber team at the major league level and a highly ranked farm system, Detroit appears well-positioned to compete both now and for years to come.
