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The kid can do no wrong.
Since earning a spot on the Opening Day roster, Detroit Tigers rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle has done nothing but dazzle.
Even while the Tigers' offense was historically bad through the first few months of the season, there was always one constant. Almost as certain as death and taxes, it was McGonigle finding a way to get on base.
Day after day, game after game, Kevin McGonigle kept coming through from his spot in the batting order. With his heels dug into the batter's box and the way he stares down both the pitcher and each pitch, he reminds me of Victor Martinez. Dialed in beyond almost anyone I've ever seen at the plate.
Then McGonigle started getting on base the way V-Mart used to. It didn't matter whether he reached with a line drive, wore a pitch, or took an old-fashioned four-ball walk to first. No matter how he did it, there didn't seem to be a game that passed where McGonigle didn't force his way onto the base paths at least once.
More often than not, though, he was reaching base multiple times a game.
The problem was the Tigers were losing at a heartbreaking rate, so McGonigle's success was being overlooked and overshadowed by the questions surrounding the rest of the organization. Through all the noise, the 21-year-old simply kept doing what he does best—getting on base and producing.
Then things started to get really interesting.
Not only was McGonigle constantly reaching base, he was becoming one of the Tigers' best players and quietly establishing himself as one of the best all-around rookies in Major League Baseball. At just 21 years old, McGonigle was doing things only Professor McGonagall could magically make happen in Harry Potter.
McGonigle currently owns the third-highest WAR among all MLB rookies and even has a higher batting WAR than Shohei Ohtani. He earned his first All-Star selection after spending just three months in The Show, and every bit of the recognition has been earned.
As impressive as that is, it still doesn't tell the whole story.
During Tuesday's game against the Oakland Athletics, McGonigle accomplished something no rookie in Major League Baseball history has ever done.
He officially recorded his 53rd game reaching base at least twice before the All-Star break, passing Aaron Judge's rookie record of 52, which was set in 2017.
McGonigle also tied Judge with 53 games overall of reaching base at least twice this season, which ranks second in the American League behind Nick Kurtz's 56.
That's incredible company to be mentioned alongside, especially for a rookie who wasn't expected to carry this kind of offensive load this early in his career.
More than anything, though, this record highlights just how quietly dominant McGonigle has been all season long. Even while the Tigers struggled for much of the first half, he continued to produce at an elite level. Every night he found a way to contribute, and every night he seemed to give Detroit a chance.
Now, there is one piece of context worth mentioning.
Judge reached his record in 88 games, while McGonigle has played in 91 games entering Tuesday and still has five games remaining before the All-Star break. Some will point to that difference when comparing the two accomplishments.
But years from now, when people look through the record book, that likely won't be the first thing they notice.
What they'll see is Kevin McGonigle sitting at the top of the list with 53 games reaching base at least twice before the All-Star break. Better yet, he'll still have several more opportunities before the break to extend the record even further.
For a rookie who continues to exceed every expectation placed in front of him, it feels like yet another chapter in what is quickly becoming a historic first season.
Continue reading...
Since earning a spot on the Opening Day roster, Detroit Tigers rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle has done nothing but dazzle.
Even while the Tigers' offense was historically bad through the first few months of the season, there was always one constant. Almost as certain as death and taxes, it was McGonigle finding a way to get on base.
Day after day, game after game, Kevin McGonigle kept coming through from his spot in the batting order. With his heels dug into the batter's box and the way he stares down both the pitcher and each pitch, he reminds me of Victor Martinez. Dialed in beyond almost anyone I've ever seen at the plate.
Then McGonigle started getting on base the way V-Mart used to. It didn't matter whether he reached with a line drive, wore a pitch, or took an old-fashioned four-ball walk to first. No matter how he did it, there didn't seem to be a game that passed where McGonigle didn't force his way onto the base paths at least once.
More often than not, though, he was reaching base multiple times a game.
The problem was the Tigers were losing at a heartbreaking rate, so McGonigle's success was being overlooked and overshadowed by the questions surrounding the rest of the organization. Through all the noise, the 21-year-old simply kept doing what he does best—getting on base and producing.
Then things started to get really interesting.
Not only was McGonigle constantly reaching base, he was becoming one of the Tigers' best players and quietly establishing himself as one of the best all-around rookies in Major League Baseball. At just 21 years old, McGonigle was doing things only Professor McGonagall could magically make happen in Harry Potter.
McGonigle currently owns the third-highest WAR among all MLB rookies and even has a higher batting WAR than Shohei Ohtani. He earned his first All-Star selection after spending just three months in The Show, and every bit of the recognition has been earned.
As impressive as that is, it still doesn't tell the whole story.
During Tuesday's game against the Oakland Athletics, McGonigle accomplished something no rookie in Major League Baseball history has ever done.
He officially recorded his 53rd game reaching base at least twice before the All-Star break, passing Aaron Judge's rookie record of 52, which was set in 2017.
McGonigle also tied Judge with 53 games overall of reaching base at least twice this season, which ranks second in the American League behind Nick Kurtz's 56.
That's incredible company to be mentioned alongside, especially for a rookie who wasn't expected to carry this kind of offensive load this early in his career.
More than anything, though, this record highlights just how quietly dominant McGonigle has been all season long. Even while the Tigers struggled for much of the first half, he continued to produce at an elite level. Every night he found a way to contribute, and every night he seemed to give Detroit a chance.
Now, there is one piece of context worth mentioning.
Judge reached his record in 88 games, while McGonigle has played in 91 games entering Tuesday and still has five games remaining before the All-Star break. Some will point to that difference when comparing the two accomplishments.
But years from now, when people look through the record book, that likely won't be the first thing they notice.
What they'll see is Kevin McGonigle sitting at the top of the list with 53 games reaching base at least twice before the All-Star break. Better yet, he'll still have several more opportunities before the break to extend the record even further.
For a rookie who continues to exceed every expectation placed in front of him, it feels like yet another chapter in what is quickly becoming a historic first season.
Continue reading...
