LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – On Sunday, the Lansing Lugnuts wrapped up a six-game series against the Tigers’ High-A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps. The series may have given Lansing fans a glimpse into the future of the Tigers organization.
The Whitecaps are led in part by the Tigers’ top two prospects, outfielder Max Clark and infielder Kevin McGonigle. The two 20-year-old left-handed bats hit at the top of West Michigan’s lineup and powered an offensive outburst that saw the Whitecaps outscore Lansing 52-16 over last week’s series. And with success like that comes lofty expectations.
“I feel no pressure, to be honest,” McGonigle said. “I just play where my feet are. I don’t look at that social media stuff. I’m on social media, but I don’t dig too deep into it, and there’s always someone out there that’s not going to like the way you play the game. So I don’t worry about that stuff. I feel no pressure. I just try to go out and help my team win.”
And McGonigle has certainly helped the Whitecaps win. He’s hitting over .400 with an OPS over 1.200 this season. He helped the Whitecaps clinch the first-half division title in a 20-6 win on Friday, locking West Michigan into the High-A playoffs at the end of the year. It’s a level of success that every level of the Tigers organization is experiencing this year.
“One of the biggest things that A.J. [Hinch, Tigers manager] and Scott [Harris, Tigers president of baseball operations] push is winning and creating that culture,” Clark said. “So being surrounded by it on our levels, I think every single affiliate is in first place right now. Everybody has a chance to clinch. Everybody has a chance to make the playoffs. So it’s a special feeling. I mean, everybody likes to win.”
But these two are hoping to be somewhere else by the time the playoffs roll around, likely the Tigers’ Double-A affiliate, the Erie Seawolves.
“I love playoff baseball,” Clark said. “I didn’t get to experience it in high school. My first year with the Tigers, right out of the draft, we got to play in the Lakeland playoffs. I mean, that’s the lowest level of professional baseball, and those playoffs were still damn fun. So, then hopefully Erie clinches, and then we’re playing in one of the two.”
And sometime after that, donning the old English D.
“Since I picked up a bat, I think I was like 3 years old,” McGonigle said. “My dad threw a bat in my hand. Ever since then, it’s always been the dream. So, I’m just going to keep working hard.
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