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| Kevin McGonigle during Media Day prior to the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park | CREDIT: Patrick Gordon |
Kevin McGonigle could have watched Monday night's announcement anywhere. Instead, the Tigers' 22-year-old infielder gathered with family and friends at Barnaby's in Havertown, not far from the ballfields where his career began. By his estimate, 50 to 70 people were there when he learned he had won the Baseball Writers' Association of America's top rookie honor.
For a player whose first major league season became one of the best in baseball, it was a fitting end to a remarkable year: surrounded by the people who knew him long before the rest of the country did.
"Whatever the outcome would have been tonight, I think it was a good thing to, you know, have the people in my corner with me on a night like this," McGonigle said during a conference call after the announcement. "It was just a special night."
McGonigle received 28 of 30 first-place votes, comfortably beating Cleveland pitcher Parker Messick and Boston left-hander Payton Tolle. He became the first Tigers player to win the award since Michael Fulmer in 2016 and the first Detroit infielder since Lou Whitaker in 1978.
His numbers explained the lopsided vote. McGonigle batted .278 with 18 home runs, 72 RBIs, 97 runs scored and 12 stolen bases in 156 games. He drew 95 walks, posted a .376 on-base percentage and accumulated 7.1 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference. That WAR total led the entire American League — not merely its rookies.
He also became the first rookie since Ted Williams in 1939 to record at least 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 95 walks in a season. It was a remarkable combination of plate discipline and production for someone so new to the majors.
But around Philadelphia, McGonigle's rookie season meant something beyond the statistics.
Raised in Aldan, McGonigle played youth baseball on local fields before starring at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast in Drexel Hill. He grew up a Phillies fan who admired Chase Utley, studying the second baseman's all-out style and imagining himself in the major leagues.
His command of the strike zone was evident well before Detroit called. As a Bonner-Prendergast senior in 2023, he earned Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year honors after batting .474 through 21 games, walking 28 times and striking out just once in 76 plate appearances.
The Tigers selected him 37th overall that summer. Less than three years later, having bypassed Triple-A, he made Detroit's Opening Day roster. He produced four hits in his debut, giving the Tigers a glimpse of the impact to come.
By July, McGonigle was an All-Star at Citizens Bank Park, where he had once watched the Phillies from the stands. During the festivities, he finally met Utley. By November, youngsters around Delaware County were dressing as McGonigle for Halloween.
One of those costumes produced an encounter he won't soon forget.
McGonigle said he was having dinner with friends when he met a boy who had dressed as him. After saying hello, the youngster went home and later returned with a baseball-card memento for McGonigle.
"I didn't think anyone would be me for Halloween, honestly," McGonigle said. "It was pretty cool."
There is a generational symmetry to the moment. The kid who wanted to play like Utley has become the player young fans want to imitate. McGonigle said the messages from children following his career are among the things that push him to compete.
"There's a lot of people out there watching, a lot of kids that were in my shoes before," he said. "They all have dreams and, you know, you just got to work hard and good things will happen."
McGonigle traced his own opportunity back to his parents and the years of rides to summer tournaments. He recalled his father tossing Nerf balls in the living room while young Kevin swung a souvenir bat.
He also spoke about relatives and friends who came to watch whenever Detroit played near Philadelphia. Their presence at Barnaby's on Monday made the award feel like something shared.
"I wouldn't be where I'm at today without the people in my corner," he said.
In Detroit, McGonigle adjusted to the daily demands of a major league season without falling into a prolonged offensive slump. He credited his teammates and manager A.J. Hinch for helping him through difficult days, although he admitted that constant travel and time alone in hotel rooms were challenging.
"The travel was a lot," he said.
His focus throughout the season remained on winning. Detroit finished 76-86 and missed the playoffs, an ending that left the Rookie of the Year thinking about what still needs to be accomplished.
After taking two weeks off, McGonigle returned to the weight room. He plans to focus on arm strength and defense while continuing to refine the swing that carried him through his first season.
For now, though, Monday belonged to the people at Barnaby's — his family, his friends and a community that watched one of its own become a major league star.
The uniform says Detroit. The roots still run through Delco.
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