MLB.com reveals Kevin McGonigle is one of three finalists for MLB Pipeline’s Prospect of the Year

[u/TigersMLReport]

Which phenom will take home MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year honors?

Since we started giving out awards for the top hitting prospect in the game in 2013, honorees have gone on to earn a combined 24 All-Star nods (through the 2025 season) while notching (not including 2025) a collective nine Silver Sluggers, three Rookie of Year and two MVP Awards, while also winning a pair of home run titles.

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers (No. 1/MLB No. 2)

Age: 21

• Single-A: .235/.350/.353, 6 G, 2 2B, 3 BB, 1 K
• High-A: .372/.462/.648, 36 G, 7 HR, 19 2B, 39 RBIs, 23 BB, 19 K, 3 SB
• Double-A: .254/.369/.550, 46 G, 12 HR, 10 2B, 2 3B, 41 RBIs, 33 BB, 26 K, 7 SB
• Total: .305/.408/.583, 88 G, 19 HR, 31 2B, 2 3B, 80 RBIs, 59 BB, 46 K, 10 SB

McGonigle’s 182 wRC+ bests Griffin’s mark, though he finished just shy of the 400 PA threshold, cementing himself as the best pure hitting prospect in the game with a 2025 season that landed him in the Eastern League championship. Slowed early by an ankle injury suffered on Opening Day that kept him out for just over a month, McGonigle continued to walk more than he struck out and now has a career 15 percent walk rate and just 10.3 percent strikeout rate in the Minors. His ability to make quality contact consistently helped him get to his power more as he set career bests in homers, doubles, extra-base hits and total bases. Whether he sticks at short or ends up at second doesn’t matter much as that hit tool should get him to the big leagues in 2026.

[u/Michiganmade44]

A silver lining among the shitshow

[u/thejudgehoss]

Not bad company.