MLB exec shares bold 'top-10' take on Tigers' Kevin McGoingle that fans will love

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MLB exec shares bold 'top-10' take on Tigers' Kevin McGoingle that fans will love originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Tigers have certainly not had a good 2026 season. With the injuries to a few of their best players, including Tarik Skubal, their 20-25 record is a bit of a concern.

But, while things might not be going well overall, the production from 21-year-old rookie Kevin McGonigle is reason to have optimism for the future.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic shared one bold take from a National League executive on McGonigle, as the Tigers rookie received some top-10 praise.

"Honestly, as I was watching McGonigle, I turned to the guys around me, and I said, 'I feel this guy is a top 10 hitter in the American League right now, and it's not even close,'" an NL exec said.

This hot take from this NL executive is the kind of thing Tigers fans should be ecstatic about hearing about their rookie. It's not just bias for Tigers fans to believe in McGonigle; executives in MLB also have a strong belief in McGonigle.

Tigers fans will love this bold Kevin McGonigle take​

Calling McGonigle a top-10 hitter, despite this being his rookie season and being just 21 years old, might be a very bold take.

But, it might not be that far from the truth. This season, McGonigle is hitting .288 with two homers, 16 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples, and an .822 OPS.

That OPS mark is 46th in MLB this season among qualified hitters, so while he's not a top-10 hitter by that metric, he is already one of the best hitters in the sport right now.

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The important thing for McGonigle is that there's room to grow as well. It's not like McGonigle's ceiling is this .822 OPS mark; if he can tap into his power a bit more and get more used to the MLB level, he could put up some elite numbers.

Looking at strictly on-base percentage, McGonigle's .397 mark is the 10th best in baseball. Power is the only thing lacking from his game, and while he might not be a 30-homer hitter, he could slug a bit better and raise his OPS into the .900s fairly easily.

While this take might be a bit premature at the moment, there's no denying that McGonigle has the tools to be a great hitter, and even top-10, like this NL executive believes to be the case.

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