There’s a Detroit Tiger among MLB.com’s “way-too-early” awards picks for 2026, but it might not be who you’re thinking.
Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle is MLB writer Anthony Castrovince’s early pick for American League Rookie of the Year, released Friday, along with his other “way-too-early” Baseball Writers’ Association of America award predictions for the coming season.
A couple of caveats, Castrovince writes, concerning his picks: He steered clear of “repeats and otherwise obvious favorites,” which helps explain why he isn’t projecting a three-peat for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in the race for the AL Cy Young Award. He picks Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet instead, and includes “we can’t even be totally certain Skubal is in the AL in 2026.”
The repeat rule doesn’t apply in McGonigle’s case, obviously. The 21-year-old shortstop is MLB’s second-ranked prospect according to both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, and is coming off a season in which he slashed a combined .305/.408/.583/.991 at three levels (including a rehab stint at low-A Lakeland), with 19 home runs, 80 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, finishing at Double-A Erie. More than half of his 101 hits (52) went for extra bases.
McGonigle carried that work over to the Arizona Fall League, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors.
McGonigle, who has played primarily at shortstop in the minors, is expected to get a long look from the Tigers in spring training come next month.
“McGonigle’s approach and bat speed are impressive,” writes Castrovince, who noted McGonigle’s 46 strikeouts against 59 walks in 88 games. “He might not crack the Tigers’ Opening Day squad at shortstop like some fans will hope, but I think there will be ample opportunity for him in 2026.”
Also making Castrovince’s early predictions is former Tiger Don Kelly, who is the writer’s early pick for National League Manager of the Year, though he prefaces his reason with, “Let’s finish this off with a wild one. Go-big-or-go-home kinda stuff.”
Kelly, who was a fan favorite as player for the Tigers from 2009-14, went 59-65 in his first season as the Pittsburgh Pirates manager last season, promoted after Derek Shelton was fired in May.
“The Pirates have a good pitching staff fronted by (Paul) Skenes, who is probably destined for a second Cy now that I picked someone else,” Castrovince writes. “So that’s a good start. What they couldn’t do in 2025 (and plenty of other years) is hit. They’ve been looking to change that this winter, and Kelly is a native Pittsburghian who will emerge as one of the great stories of the 2026 season in guiding the Buccos back to October (via a Wild Card spot, let’s not get too crazy) for the first time in more than a decade.”
