Pair of Tigers prospects powering through Arizona Fall League

For the past two seasons, the Detroit Tigers managed to claw their way into the postseason through the wild-card round, but only advanced as far as the ALDS. Most of the chatter around the team this offseason has centered on what president of baseball operations Scott Harris and company plan to do with back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. 

But what hasn't seen enough attention amidst the speculation is the performance of two top prospects, Kevin McGonigle and Max Anderson, with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.

Kevin McGonigle and Max Anderson impress while playing in the Arizona Fall League 

McGonigle, the Tigers' No. 1 prospect (No. 2 overall on both MLB.com and Baseball America), has lived up to his ranking, hitting .362/.500/.710 with five home runs (25-for-69). His 1.210 OPS is the third-highest in the AFL. Primarily a shortstop, McGonigle has split time between short and third base with the Scorpions.

McGonigle finished the 2025 season in Double-A, posting a .305/.408/.583 slash line with 19 home runs on the year overall. His career batting average in the minors stands at .308. He is expected to make his debut next season.

McGonigle has had an impressive fall, and his status as a top prospect made him a player of interest in the AFL, however, it would appear Anderson has stolen the spotlight. The Tigers’ No. 9 prospect hit .477/.609/.809 with four home runs (21-for-47), leading the AFL in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS (1.418).

Anderson, who splits time between second and third base, finished the year in Triple-A, hitting .296/.350/.478 with 19 home runs, marking the best season of his professional career. Like McGonigle, he is expected to make his debut in 2026.

This duo brings a lot of excitement to the Tigers' fanbase as they are close to joining the major-league roster. But before that happens, Tigers fans will get a chance to watch McGonigle and Anderson in the AFL quarterfinals on Thursday before the championship game on Friday.