Could Delco Produce the AL Rookie of the Year?
When the Detroit Tigers cruised to a 13-6 laugher on Monday, Philadelphia Phillies fans watched more than a Grapefruit League dud. Tigers shortstop and Delco native Kevin McGonigle launched a…
When the Detroit Tigers cruised to a 13-6 laugher on Monday, Philadelphia Phillies fans watched more than a Grapefruit League dud.
Tigers shortstop and Delco native Kevin McGonigle launched a 437-foot bomb over the right field wall at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida as part of seven-run first inning.
The Monsignor Bonner graduate rounded the bases to put the exclamation point on an impressive spring. He cemented his case to become the Opening Day shortstop for the AL Central favorites, but expectations have soared even higher.
Draft Kings lists McGonigle with the second best odds to win the American League Rookie of the Year this season at +500. Only Pottstown, PA’s Trey Yesavage of the Toronto Blue Jays has shorter odds at +425.
Kevin McGonigle
The Tigers drafted the slugging infielder with the 37th-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, 10 picks after the Phillies selected Aidan Miller. McGonigle won the MVP in the 2025 Arizona Fall League. He landed second on the list of MLB Top 100, behind only fellow shortstop Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
McGonigle’s high school manager Steve Debarberie spoke to 97.5 The Fanatic about his star player just weeks before the Tigers made him the first Bonner baseball player drafted out of high school since 1978.
“We knew his potential as a player when he was like 11 or 12 years old. He was just like a local legend down in Little League, hitting home runs pretty much every at bat. Once he got on the campus in high school and he started doing college camps and stuff like that... That's when I kind of knew, okay, he is going to have potential to be a draft pick out of high school.”
- High School Manager Steve Debarberie
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty ImagesDebarberie admired McGonigle’s decision to stay at Bonner, a long-standing Delco Catholic high school that has merged with sister school Archbishop Prendergast. The choice to pass on other opportunities and play his senior season is a path that's become less common for high school standouts with major league aspirations.
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch caught up with ESPN’s Baseball Tonight – airing on 97.5 The Fanatic overnights – about McGonigle’s bright future in the major leagues. The former Houston Astros compared him to World Series stalwarts Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve.
“Physically, Kevin reminds me of Bregman, and Altuve, and the guys that have a sort of potent bat and know the strike zone. Characteristics around the guys who know the strike zone are going to have a good chance to be the best version of themselves faster. With Kevin, he’s versatile. He plays more positions than Jose did when I got him. Baseball acumen is super strong. Bregy’s a great example of a baseball purist who loves every aspect of the sport.”
Hinch also shared a story about rewarding McGonigle with one Grapefruit League start in Clearwater in March 2025. McGonigle took Aaron Nola deep at BayCare Ballpark in front of crowds of friends and family from Aldan and the Philadelphia area. He rounded the bases with the enthusiasm you’d expect in a World Series walk-off home run.
Trey Yesavage burst onto the scene in five postseason starts for the AL champion Blue Jays last fall. Expect a Pottstown vs. Delco battle with Kevin McGonigle for AL Rookie of the Year in 2026.
