Ever since the John Oliver-designed Moon Mammoths alternate identity for Double-A Erie landed on the scene, they’ve been the focus of awe, adulation and all-around applause.
So it seems fitting that one of the Minors’ most high-profile prospects -- Kevin McGonigle, No. 2 overall -- has gotten to don the svelte Moon Mammoths threads in 2025.
Many of the same adjectives that describe the hotcake-esque demand for gear of the Tigers affiliate can be applied to their top prospect’s latest homer, a genuine wallop off fellow Top 100 prospect Jarlin Susana (Nationals), which came in at 100.2 mph and went out even faster.
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Erie broadcaster Greg Gania has been calling games at UPMC Park since 2006, so he knows a thing or two about home runs there. He considered McGonigle’s seventh roundtripper for the SeaWolves to be in rarified air -- literally and figuratively.
McGonigle has made mincemeat of Minor League pitching at every stop of his pro career, particularly this year. The Tigers’ top prospect turned 21 on Monday and is more than 3 1/2 years younger than the average player in the Eastern League, but that hasn’t slowed his production: .294/.393/.618 with 27 RBIs and a 18/13 BB/K ratio in 27 contests. Factor in his time with Single-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan, and he’s up to 88 hits and a 1.046 OPS this season.
Susana went on to record a career-high 13 strikeouts across five dominant frames with McGonigle’s homer the lone blemish on his day. Turning around triple-digit heat for a homer is pretty unusual: just five big league hitters have hit a pitch that came in at more than 100.2 mph for a roundtripper in 2025.