Scott Harris Explains Why Tigers Put Kevin McGonigle on Opening Day Roster

The decision to include Kevin McGonigle on the Opening Day roster wasn’t made lightly by the Detroit Tigers . On Wednesday, president of baseball operations Scott Harris offered a detailed explanation of why the organization ultimately chose to bring the 21-year-old straight to the big leagues. Performance and Readiness Drove the Decision According to Harris ( Via Evan Petzold ), the Tigers focused on two key questions when evaluating McGonigle’s roster case.

“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? I think his performance in games in Lakeland, and especially the work that we saw behind the scenes, convinced us that the answer to those two questions was yes, so he’s here. ” McGonigle’s strong spring performance, combined with his preparation away from game action, gave the Tigers confidence that he could handle the leap.

Skill Set Built for Early Success Harris pointed to specific traits that made McGonigle stand out. “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. ” Those foundational skills, particularly his approach at the plate, helped separate him from other young prospects.

Realistic Expectations for a 21-Year-Old While the Tigers believe McGonigle is ready, Harris made it clear the organization understands there may be growing pains. “I will say, we shouldn’t be surprised if there are growing pains here. He’s 21 years old.