LAKELAND, Fla. -- Kevin McGonigle has done a great job blending into Tigers camp as a top prospect turned non-roster invite to Spring Training. But he couldn’t help but stand out Thursday afternoon as his home run soared down the right-field line.
McGonigle got all of a Beau Brieske fastball in live batting practice and launched it for a no-doubt drive down the right-field line that turned some heads. If it’s any sort of preview for what he has in store for the Grapefruit League, Saturday should be a show.
While manager A.J. Hinch did not announce his full lineup for the Tigers’ Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees in Tampa on Saturday, he said that McGonigle will start at shortstop alongside Gleyber Torres. Catching prospect Eduardo Valencia (No. 23) will start behind the plate, catching starting pitcher, fellow Venezuelan and longtime teammate Keider Montero.
It’s part of Hinch’s effort to throw his top prospects in camp into the mix.
“One of the things that young guys need is to experience something, right,” Hinch said. “They want to play in a game, so Saturday, McGonigle's going to play short and Gleyber's going to play second. It sounds super simple, but just play next to that guy. You're going to see Valencia catch Montero. You need that experience of doing something with the boys to start to settle in. Whether it's a live BP homer or their first Spring Training game, where the whole goal is to get through it healthy, every little thing sort of impacts the young guy a little more.”
That said, McGonigle hasn’t shown the kind of nerves that one might expect from a young player in his first big league camp. He plays with a youthful enthusiasm, but also a quiet confidence. He knew he got all of Brieske’s fastball, but he also didn’t celebrate it.
As to what the start means for McGonigle’s case for cracking the Tigers’ Opening Day roster and making his MLB debut in five weeks, don’t read too much into it just yet. Early Spring Training road games are often an opportunity to give young players opportunities while allowing veterans to avoid a road trip and focus on workouts. Still, with trips to North Port (Braves), Sarasota (Orioles) and Port Charlotte (Rays) coming up next week, plus a split-squad day that includes a trip to Clearwater to face the Phillies, the Tigers could give McGonigle and other prospects a long look early.
Briceňo takes Tarik deep
McGonigle was the second Tigers prospect in as many days to homer in live batting practice. On Wednesday, No. 3 prospect Josue Briceňo turned on a Tarik Skubal slider and sent it deep for a lefty-lefty home run.
“It's a reminder that sliders can get [sent] a long way by young prospects who can really hit,” Hinch said. “I had a meeting with Briceňo after the workout and said, 'Hey, you're allowed to smile. That's a pretty good accomplishment, even in practice.' And I think it felt pretty good for him.”
Briceňo cracked a smile when talking about it Thursday morning.
“I don’t try to hit home runs,” Briceňo said. “Just trying to look at one pitch and swing, and that was what happened. I think he missed that last pitch, the slider.”
It was a great reward at the end of a long day, the kind that catchers often endure early in camp before games begin. With so many pitchers to catch, either in bullpen sessions or live batting practice, catchers can struggle to find time to find swings themselves.
“I enjoy being with these guys and working together,” Briceňo said. “It’s really fun for me to receive these guys in the big leagues after hitting one off the best pitcher in the world.”