Overview
- McGonigle launched a first-pitch shot off Jake Woodford on Monday, a 391-foot drive at 107.5 mph that tied the game against the Rays.
- A.J. Hinch highlighted the 21-year-old’s poise after a strikeout versus Shane McClanahan’s changeups and a 100 mph flyout preceded the late homer.
- Statcast data shows he is batting .800 against four-seamers with a 12.5% whiff rate on them, carrying a 98.3 mph average exit velocity and nine batted balls at 100+ mph this spring.
- He remains in big-league camp after other prospects were reassigned, keeping an Opening Day path in play with 17 days left before the season.
- Despite the surge, he has not played Triple-A and faces infield competition that includes Javier Báez, Trey Sweeney and Max Anderson, with Detroit cautious about starting his service-time clock.