SAN DIEGO – Kevin McGonigle quickly showed why the Detroit Tigers made the right decision by including him on their roster. He became the third-youngest player to record four or more hits on Opening Day in the last 100 Major League seasons.
The 21-year-old rookie connected on the first pitch he saw in the big leagues, a bases-loaded double with two RBIs in the first inning against San Diego on Thursday. He continued his good performance, getting hits in his next two at-bats and scoring his first run in the majors. In the ninth inning, he added a fourth hit, finishing with a 4-5 mark, with two RBIs and two runs scored.What a debut!
A.J. Hinch, manager
I was nervous, but it’s weird, I feel like right when I started my swing, it was gone. I felt great out there. With a lot of confidence. I’m looking to maintain that same mentality.
Kevin McGonigle
Everyone has been by my side. If I have any questions, everyone tells me to go to them. This is the team to be on right now, and I’m very happy to be able to share this with these guys.
Kevin McGonigle
Ken Griffey Jr. (20 years, 139 days) and Delino DeShields Jr. (21 years, 84 days), who achieved this feat in 1990, were the only two younger players than McGonigle to get four or more hits on Opening Day in the last 100 seasons.
McGonigle kept the pace as the Tigers punished Nick Pivetta, backing up two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.Several family members were present, and McGonigle planned to give each of his parents a ball used in the game. Batting sixth, he appeared for the first time as a Major League player with the bases loaded, one out, and the Tigers up 1-0 on a sunny 74-degree afternoon at Petco Park. He hit the first pitch he saw down the right field line, driving in Colt Keith and Riley Greene to make the score 3-0.I told myself, it’s just another game. I kept that mentality, and I hope to continue like that.
Kevin McGonigle
McGonigle followed with a line drive that hit the top of the right field wall in the third and reached second base with another double, moving Spencer Torkelson to third base. Both scored on Parker Meadows’ single to left field. According to studies, McGonigle is the first Tigers player in the last 80 seasons to get an extra-base hit in each of his first two plate appearances. He connected a single to the shortstop in the fifth and reached base for Dillon Dingler’s home run that put the score at 8-0. McGonigle, who played at third base, was finally put out in the seventh when he flied out to third baseman Manny Machado in left field. Selected in the first round of the 2023 draft, McGonigle had an outstanding spring that allowed him to skip Triple-A after playing only 46 games in Double-A last season.He won’t be as nervous as he was in that at-bat, and if that’s the nervous version of him, we’re in for a fun year. I like the fact that he was aggressive with his swing. Obviously, a big hit to open the game up a little bit and give us some breathing room. That set the tone for a very good day for him and for us.
A.J. Hinch, manager
