SAN DIEGO – Detroit Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle woke up at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 24, in his hotel room in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a text message from manager A.J. Hinch.
Meeting at 8:55 a.m.
He didn't need an explanation.
"I was like, 'All right, here we go,'" McGonigle said. "We had breakfast before, and I couldn't really eat – I was so stressed out. But I was able to eat right after the meeting, which was good."
During the meeting, Hinch informed McGonigle that he had made the Tigers' Opening Day roster – exactly 52 hours before the first game of the 2026 season. Just like that, the 21-year-old skipped Triple-A Toledo after just 46 games with Double-A Erie (and only 183 games across four levels of the minor leagues).
McGonigle – a 2023 first-round pick and the consensus No. 2 prospect in baseball – is set to start Thursday against the San Diego Padres, either at shortstop or third base, against right-hander Nick Pivetta at Petco Park.
When did McGonigle first think Opening Day was possible?
The offseason.
"When I first found out I got the invitation to big-league camp," McGonigle said. "Coming in, I was like, 'I'm going to give it all I have, if there's an opportunity for me to make the team, then I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it.' And I did pretty well this spring."
The meeting between McGonigle and Hinch lasted 10 minutes, with a trip to Triple-A or MLB hanging in the balance.
But the answer didn't come right away.
Hinch made him wait.
"It was a buildup," McGonigle said. "He did a great job of keeping it between, 'You're not making it,' and, 'You're making it,' so the whole time, I was on my toes. I was like, 'A.J., come on – get to the point, man. I'm stressing over here.'"
Then came the answer.
"Of course, he told me the great news," McGonigle said. "I still can't really put it into words."
McGonigle played 22 games in spring training, hitting .286 (14-for-49) with three home runs, 13 walks (20.6% walk rate) and 11 strikeouts (17.5% strikeout rate) across 63 plate appearances.
He stood out with smart swing decisions and elite bat-to-ball skills, driven by an advanced approach at the plate. He also impressed with smooth defense at shortstop and third base, fueled by the development of his pre-pitch preparation.
In every way, McGonigle proved he belonged in the big leagues.
"The determining factors for us when considering him for the Opening Day roster were, one, can he make us better, and two, is he ready developmentally for this jump?" president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. "We think his command of the strike zone, his ability to execute a game plan at the plate and his ability to help us defensively are going to insulate him from some of the struggles that young players see. We just trust him mentally and physically to be able to fight through some of the adjustment period here."
After the meeting, McGonigle was eager to share the news with his family and friends.
First, he called his mom, Tracy.
"What are you doing Thursday?" he asked.
She didn't hesitate.
"I'm going to San Diego!" she said.
"Then I talked to my dad right after," McGonigle said. "I told him the news, and he was like, 'How many tickets do I get?' I called my best friends, called my agent. It was just a great moment for everyone in my family. I wouldn't be here without them."
As for Thursday, McGonigle has a plan for handling the emotions of his MLB debut on Opening Day.
It's another reason why he's ready.
"I've always been good at telling myself it's the same game," McGonigle said. "I'm going to have the same mindset. I know it's going to be in front of 45,000 fans. I know it's at the biggest sage. I've dreamed about being there my whole life. My mindset leading up to this point has always been good, and I'll continue to keep that mindset. First pitch might be a little tough, might be a little nervous, but after that first pitch, I'm hoping it's go-time from there."
The wait is over.
Let the McGonigle era begin.
"We don't need him to be the savior," Harris said. "We don't need him to carry us. We just need him to help us. This roster is pretty darn good with or without him. We just think it's better with him on it. That's why he's here."
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kevin McGonigle on Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster: How he found out