Detroit Tigers’ Scott Harris explains 2025 MLB trade deadline approach
President of baseball operations Scott Harris talks July 31, 2025, about how the Detroit Tigers took a conservative approach at the trade deadline.
The Detroit Tigers‘ top prospect didn’t land at No. 1 in MLB Pipeline’s midseason Top 100 rankings. But No. 2 isn’t bad.
Shortstop Kevin McGonigle, currently at Double-A Erie, is one of four Tigers prospects to land in MLB Pipeline’s midseason top-100. McGonigle (No. 2) joins outfielder Max Clark (No. 9), catcher Josue Briceño (No. 32) and shortstop Bryce Rainer (No. 35) as the four Tigers’ prospects in the top 100. McGonigle recently ranked as baseball’s No. 1 prospect in the midseason rankings from Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs.
McGonigle, 20, has spent his 2025 season between High-A West Michigan and Erie, slashing a combined .332/.428/.577 with nine home runs and 57 RBIs across 63 minor league games. He also appeared in the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game, along with Clark and Briceño.
MLB Pipeline’s new midseason list also came with an update of the team’s top-30 prospects, though that didn’t provide many surprises at the top, with the team’s top-five prospects (including catcher Thayron Liranzo at No. 5) staying in place. Some new additions from this year’s draft made the list, however.
Shorstop Jordan Yost, who the Tigers took with their first-round pick on July 13, debuts at No. 9 on the midseason top 30. Second-round pick Malachi Witherspoon, a right-handed pitcher, is at No. 12, while compensation pick Michael Oliveto is at No. 18.
Other draft picks making the list include LHP Ben Jacobs (No. 19), outfielder Nick Dumesnil (No. 24), RHP River Hamilton (No. 26) and LHP Grayson Grinsell (No. 28).
The Tigers came in at No. 1 among all organizations in MLB Pipeline’s preseason farm system rankings, a sharp rise from their No. 25 position at the start of 2023.
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com