SURPRISE – As Kevin McGonigle walked out of a Surprise Stadium tunnel to take the field for an Arizona Fall League game, a scattering of fans shouted his name, hoping to get his autograph.
The Detroit Tigers prospect, 21, is ranked second on MLB’s Top 100 Prospects list, a status that carries a lot of weight – even during the offseason.
McGonigle is poised to accept the challenge as he competes for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the AFL, which attracts top prospects from around baseball every offseason, with players from all 30 MLB teams playing on six teams around the Valley through mid-November.
“I’m trying to get a little stronger, being prepared at third base and shortstop for next spring,” McGonigle said of his priorities in the AFL. “Bat speed is what I like to lock in on, and I think everything will fall into place.”
That bat speed work has been a major contributor to McGonigle’s success so far, as he batted .305 in 88 games in A, A+ and AA in 2025. A right ankle sprain in the first game of the season cost him games, allowing him to enjoy a fall in the desert where he is making up for lost at-bats.
Now in the Fall League, McGonigle finds himself at the same stop of one of his baseball idols, Chase Utley. Like McGonigle, Utley was a middle infield prospect when he played for the Grand Canyon Rafters in 2002. McGonigle, a native of the Philadelphia area, grew up with Utley on his TV every summer, so naturally the young lefty kept a watchful eye.
“I followed Chase Utley’s career and was like, ‘I really like this guy a lot. I love the way he plays. That’s how I want to play when I’m older,’” McGonigle told MLB.com. “So far, I’ve just been working as hard as I can to kind of model my game after him.”
McGonigle has found himself in a groove on the baseball diamond while enjoying hobbies off the field.
He was excited to come to Arizona for the first time in his life, and like many visitors to the Grand Canyon State, he is discovering the area’s variety of golf courses. He was especially proud of the 81 he shot at Dove Valley Ranch in Cave Creek. He also has been lucky enough to play at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club’s courses.
“I started playing my senior year of high school,” McGonigle said. “I don’t think it affects my baseball swing, so I get out there whenever I can.”
It would appear that he is correct that hitting little balls off a tee is having little effect on his ability to smack baseballs.
So far for Scottsdale, McGonigle is batting .366 with a 1.101 OPS. In 41 at-bats, he has netted nine RBIs on 15 hits, and he added his first two home runs of the fall Wednesday against Surprise and Thursday against Salt River. The latter was a go-ahead, two-run shot in the 10th inning.
Based on that production, it’s easy to see why he is considered such a valuable prospect. Some would also consider him a valuable teammate.
“One of my buddies from the Tigers, Kevin, he’s great to play with, (he’s one of the guys) who keeps the clubhouse light,” said Max Aanderson, a fellow Tigers prospect and Scorpions teammate. “And I think it’s why we’ve had so much success and have been able to play freeing baseball.”
It’s understandable why McGonigle’s teammates speak so highly of him. His confidence oozed when talking about his ability to hit, yet is humble and gracious for the position he finds himself in. He knows his opportunities will arise as his glove allows him to flourish in the field at multiple positions.
“I’ll be prepared for spring training,” he said. “That’s my goal this offseason. I know it’s not in my hands, but I’ll try and push their hands and see if they want to take a shot with me.”
The Tigers will find themselves with multiple options to fill out their infield going into next season. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is set to hit free agency, but a return to Detroit via the qualifying offer or a stagnant market is still possible. His departure would leave a massive hole of production near the top of the lineup.
Meanwhile, Javy Baez has been a conundrum for the Tigers. He played all over the diamond this past season, and was an All-Star for the first time since 2019.
However Baez was selected for the first time as an outfielder, not as a middle infielder. It could be the case that Baez continues to play center, which might create an infield vacancy for McGonigle this spring.
For now, McGonigle will continue on the road that got him to this point with elite skill at the plate and growing confidence in his glove – not to mention his golf game.
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Detroit Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle uses Arizona Fall League as stepping stone to big league dreams
Will Horan, Cronkite News
October 30, 2025
SURPRISE – As Kevin McGonigle walked out of a Surprise Stadium tunnel to take the field for an Arizona Fall League game, a scattering of fans shouted his name, hoping to get his autograph.
The Detroit Tigers prospect, 21, is ranked second on MLB’s Top 100 Prospects list, a status that carries a lot of weight – even during the offseason.
McGonigle is poised to accept the challenge as he competes for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the AFL, which attracts top prospects from around baseball every offseason, with players from all 30 MLB teams playing on six teams around the Valley through mid-November.
“I’m trying to get a little stronger, being prepared at third base and shortstop for next spring,” McGonigle said of his priorities in the AFL. “Bat speed is what I like to lock in on, and I think everything will fall into place.”
That bat speed work has been a major contributor to McGonigle’s success so far, as he batted .305 in 88 games in A, A+ and AA in 2025. A right ankle sprain in the first game of the season cost him games, allowing him to enjoy a fall in the desert where he is making up for lost at-bats.
Now in the Fall League, McGonigle finds himself at the same stop of one of his baseball idols, Chase Utley. Like McGonigle, Utley was a middle infield prospect when he played for the Grand Canyon Rafters in 2002. McGonigle, a native of the Philadelphia area, grew up with Utley on his TV every summer, so naturally the young lefty kept a watchful eye.
“I followed Chase Utley’s career and was like, ‘I really like this guy a lot. I love the way he plays. That’s how I want to play when I’m older,’” McGonigle told MLB.com. “So far, I’ve just been working as hard as I can to kind of model my game after him.”
McGonigle has found himself in a groove on the baseball diamond while enjoying hobbies off the field.
He was excited to come to Arizona for the first time in his life, and like many visitors to the Grand Canyon State, he is discovering the area’s variety of golf courses. He was especially proud of the 81 he shot at Dove Valley Ranch in Cave Creek. He also has been lucky enough to play at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club’s courses.
“I started playing my senior year of high school,” McGonigle said. “I don’t think it affects my baseball swing, so I get out there whenever I can.”
It would appear that he is correct that hitting little balls off a tee is having little effect on his ability to smack baseballs.
So far for Scottsdale, McGonigle is batting .366 with a 1.101 OPS. In 41 at-bats, he has netted nine RBIs on 15 hits, and he added his first two home runs of the fall Wednesday against Surprise and Thursday against Salt River. The latter was a go-ahead, two-run shot in the 10th inning.
Based on that production, it’s easy to see why he is considered such a valuable prospect. Some would also consider him a valuable teammate.
“One of my buddies from the Tigers, Kevin, he’s great to play with, (he’s one of the guys) who keeps the clubhouse light,” said Max Aanderson, a fellow Tigers prospect and Scorpions teammate. “And I think it’s why we’ve had so much success and have been able to play freeing baseball.”
It’s understandable why McGonigle’s teammates speak so highly of him. His confidence oozed when talking about his ability to hit, yet is humble and gracious for the position he finds himself in. He knows his opportunities will arise as his glove allows him to flourish in the field at multiple positions.
“I’ll be prepared for spring training,” he said. “That’s my goal this offseason. I know it’s not in my hands, but I’ll try and push their hands and see if they want to take a shot with me.”
The Tigers will find themselves with multiple options to fill out their infield going into next season. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is set to hit free agency, but a return to Detroit via the qualifying offer or a stagnant market is still possible. His departure would leave a massive hole of production near the top of the lineup.
Meanwhile, Javy Baez has been a conundrum for the Tigers. He played all over the diamond this past season, and was an All-Star for the first time since 2019.
However Baez was selected for the first time as an outfielder, not as a middle infielder. It could be the case that Baez continues to play center, which might create an infield vacancy for McGonigle this spring.
For now, McGonigle will continue on the road that got him to this point with elite skill at the plate and growing confidence in his glove – not to mention his golf game.
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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