Kevin McGonigle keeps stacking up milestones for the Detroit Tigers, and the latest one puts him in rare company.
The 21-year-old infielder broke a rookie record previously held by Aaron Judge, reaching base safely multiple times for the 53rd time before the All-Star break. Jon Morosi noted on Twitter/x that McGonigle’s total in 91 games is now the new MLB mark for rookies, topping Judge’s 2017 standard.
“History in Detroit tonight: Kevin McGonigle has reached base multiple times on 53 occasions before the All-Star Game,” Morosi shared. “That is a new @MLB record, surpassing the mark set by Aaron Judge in 2017.”
It’s a rookie-only record, so McGonigle’s 53-game total doesn’t stand as the most by any player in a single season. Still, for a first-year player, it’s a striking number - and another reminder that the Tigers may have found a cornerstone.
McGonigle’s season has been packed with production across the board. He’s hitting .287 with seven homers, 95 hits, 58 walks, 53 strikeouts, a .821 OPS and a .398 on-base percentage, while also posting 4.9 bWAR.
He added to that line in the Tigers’ win over the Athletics, going 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. It marked the second straight day he finished with two hits and a walk, and his fourth consecutive game drawing a walk.
The Tigers rookie is already an All-Star, and he still has five games left to push the record even further. With 58 games the most he can reach this season, McGonigle has a chance to leave behind a mark that could stick around for a long time.
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