Kevin McGonigle: The Pros and Cons list of September Call-Up

Disclaimer: Kevin McGonigle has lit up the minors with standout performance at both High-A and Double-A, his offensive credentials evoke memories of a young Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker. Yet, despite such comparisons and plausible upside for potential fall ball exposure, the Tigers have firmly stated he will not be called up this September. This analysis explores the case for and against, an early promotion, using historical precedents not to forecast his arrival, but to evaluate what it could mean if the organization ever changes course.

Before we start diving in, the groundswell for Kevin McGonigle on social media is hard to ignore. Does the front office pay attention to this aspect? No, but we notice it every time we put out a highlight of McGonigle doing anything, the primal screams of “call him up” ring so loud, it’s deafening. There hasn’t been an infielder outside of, say, Colt Keith, recently, who the fans wanted to see in Detroit so badly.

Historically speaking, mind you, it is hard to compare eras from the 1970s to now, as the Tigers in 1977 were a period of transition. Lance Parrish joined Trammell and Whitaker from Triple-A Evansville as a September call-up.

Jason Thompson was coming into his own as a cornerstone piece, as he enjoyed his first All-Star appearance at the age of 22, along with outfielder Steven Kemp. Manager Ralph Houk was steering the ship of a young team as the last pieces of the 1968 World Series team, Willie Horton, was traded to Texas in April 1977 and Mickey Stanley retired after the 1978 season. The Tigers then, were finishing out the season in 4th place, not in a playoff race. But let’s go ahead and present Alan Trammel and Lou Whitaker’s stats as they were a part of the September call-ups.

Alan Trammell: Double-A (Montgomery Rebels, Double-A Southern League, 1977)

• Batted .291 over 134 games, with a .365 OBP, .414 SLG, and a cumulative .779 OPS

• He collected 132 hits, 50 RBIs, and a remarkable 19 triples, a league record-breaking figure that surpassed the mark set by Reggie Jackson a decade earlier.

• Demonstrated excellent plate discipline with 56 walks and 92 strikeouts.

• Named Southern League MVP, his dominance paved the way for an immediate September call‑up following the championship victory.

Lou Whitaker: Class-A & Double-A (1976–1977)

• 1976 in Lakeland (Single-A): Hit .297 with 62 RBIs with 48 stolen bases, earning FSL MVP honors.

• 1977 at Montgomery (Double‑A): Posted a .280 batting average, .374 OBP, with 58 walks to just 52 strikeouts. 

Kevin McGonigle Through the Same Lens

• Through High‑A and Double‑A in 2025, he’s raked a robust .319 batting average, with 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, 7 steals, and an OPS of 1.019 over 282 at‑bats. 

• High‑A dominance:  Over a 34-game stretch, he slashed a staggering .372/.464/.643, with a 213 wRC+ and 1.107 OPS, striking out less than he walked (13.9% BB 11.4% K rate)

• Top Prospect Recognition: Midseason rankings placed him as MLB’s #1 overall prospect by both Baseball Prospectus and Keith Law, thanks to a 208 wRC+ at High‑A, an 11.1% strikeout rate, and 13.5% walk rate. At Double‑A, so far, in 33 games, he is batting .267/.388/.567 with an OPS of .954 with a wRC+ of 173. The impressive walk rate continues, walking at a 17% rate and striking out at a 12.2% clip with 8 doubles, 8 home runs and 29 RBI. 

Health & Defensive Outlook

• Missed part of 2024 due to a hamate fracture, but rebounded to earn the Florida State League MVP (Regular‑Season MVP in FSL).

• Scouts highlight his elite bat: compact swing, excellent hand‑eye, high exit velocities, and strong plate discipline.

• Defense remains a point of discussion: currently passable at shortstop but potentially better suited to second base long‐term but could see time elsewhere, including third base, but has range to play short or second. 

Organization’s Position

• Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg publicly stated that McGonigle will not be called up in 2025, even with roster expansion in September. 

• Detroit’s farm system remains a core future asset. He is not being considered for trade.

Impact (hypothetical): Even if not starting games, a late-season promotion could allow:

• A taste of MLB environment

• Late‑inning bystander experience

• Mentorship exposure

• Serve as bridge to Spring Training consideration for Opening Day 2026 roster

So, how does do the “pros” play into the current state of the Tigers? After all, they did a youth push before.

2024–25 Call-Ups: Jace Jung and the Case for Pitching Depth

• In August 2024, the Tigers took a notable youth-first approach, promoting infield prospects Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney from Toledo, emphasizing a developmental push late in the season. Jung entered with a strong Triple-A line of .257/.377/.454, 14 home runs, and 60 RBIs, driven by his high walk rate and raw power despite defensive adjustment challenges at third base.

• Following spring training, the Tigers sent Jung back to Triple-A, choosing to preserve their Opening Day roster around other infield options, particularly Zach McKinstry and Ibáñez.

Pitching Needs vs. Position Player Opportunities

• Unlike the infield, the pitching staff carried more consistent need this year, as evidenced by multiple acquisitions and roster churn for Pitching Chaos 2.0 filling out the depth chart.

• Troy Melton has risen from the minors to provide a much-needed boost when Detroit needed it the most. 

Gleyber Torres: A Two-Way View

• Signed in December 2024 on a one-year deal, Torres entered the season in a prominent role and earned his third career All-Star nod as an AL starting second baseman at the 2025 Mid-Season break, hitting .281 with 9 HR and 45 RBI.

• However, his performance has dipped since July 1, 2025. Available data from StatMuse indicates Torres is hitting approximately .236, with an OPS around .701 in that span.

Collective Shortstop Production: Low Output Since June 1

• The broader infield, particularly Tigers shortstops, have struggled collectively since June 1, logging roughly .229/.265/.356, a composite line well below league average.  Note: This figure stems directly from the leaderboard filters, showing OPS-type metrics for shortstops in that timeframe.

Now, for the “cons”, and it’s pretty simple: The transition from Double-A to Detroit.

Cons: Why the Tigers May Be Hesitant

1. Detroit’s conservative promotion model
   The Tigers have shown a deliberate pace in advancing players from Double‑A Erie to Triple‑A Toledo—typically waiting until they believe the prospect is genuinely MLB-ready. As one appraisal notes, “they don’t like to rush players … and don’t tend to promote them … until just about ready to help the major league squad in some capacity, McGonigle’s quick ascendancy might thus be seen as accelerated relative to the club’s usual timeline.

2. Defense remains a work in progress
   While scouts applaud his bat, durability, and intelligence on the field, McGonigle hasn’t yet earned a long-term grade as a big-league shortstop. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhaden defensively-focused scouting argues: he’s “much more likely to replace Gleyber Torres … at second base next year than he is to be the Tigers’ shortstop”, giving him just a 40-grade as a shortstop and projecting average defense only at second base.  Personally, I think he struggles from time to time on side to side movement at short, however, his arm has shown good range. The play I saw him making an assist in Akron where he gunned down a runner at home on a ball beyond his reach, shows he can play third as Eric said, in a pinch, but I would agree with Eric, he is a second baseman and I will take a step further, a cornerstone 2nd basemen for years to come.

3. Still-developing arm and defensive polish: yet obvious tools
   Reports describe his arm as average but accurate, describing a sense for when to release the ball, suggesting defensive growth potential but also room to refine. At the same time, his throwing strength is evident: following his return from injury, a strong-armed throw earned praise graphically proving the arm talent is there across the board from several evaluators. 

4. Only 35 games at Double‑A, still limited experience against upper minors pitchers, compared to Trammell and Whitaker, who had over 100 games of experience. Toledo right now, as Chris Brown said on the podcast the other night, is a wasteland as the best arms have seem to gone up to the big leagues. Are the numbers for players like Max Anderson and others legit right now? Hard to know but Anderson has benefitted greately from the promotion.

Conclusion: