The Detroit Tigers’ young core already has a loud advocate in Max Clark, and he’s not shy about where he stands on the American League Rookie of the Year race.
Clark, the former third overall pick, made it clear on MLB Network on X that he believes teammate Kevin McGonigle should be the easy choice over Parker Messick of the Cleveland Guardians and Payton Tolle of the Boston Red Sox.
“Don’t get me wrong, that’s three great candidates, but it really isn’t even close, guys,” Clark said. “Look at the numbers.
You can look at any analytical stat you want to; WAR, got them in fWAR and bWAR. He’s set every single record since Ty Cobb and Al Kaline, every single Tigers great ever.”
Clark kept going, pointing to McGonigle’s age and the way he’s handled the spotlight.
“He’s doing it at 21, after signing that contract and just proving to everyone, ‘Yeah, I did this,’ and that’s cool. It’s such a cool thing to watch on the outside, on my end, because he was that same guy at 15 and he would just tear us up... I respect all the others, but c’mon guys, give me Kevin McGonigle, and twice on Sunday.”
McGonigle’s rookie year gave Clark plenty to work with. He finished the 2026 season with a .278 average, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, a .430 SLG and .806 OPS, along with a 126 OPS+ and 7.1 WAR. That performance earned him an All-Star nod, two Silver Slugger nominations at shortstop and utility, and his place in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
The Tigers are still waiting for their first Rookie of the Year winner since Michael Fulmer in 2016, and they haven’t had a position player take the honor since Lou Whitaker in 1978. McGonigle’s two starting-pitcher rivals have their cases, but Clark made it sound like the race is already settled in his mind.
The bigger picture in Detroit is hard to miss. McGonigle and Clark both finished the 2026 season on the MLB roster after starting the year elsewhere, and both are projected to help drive the offense in 2027. McGonigle got there first, making an immediate impact from Opening Day, while Clark debuted at the end of July and contributed down the stretch.
For the Tigers, the future is already taking shape, and Clark made it plain who he thinks should be leading the Rookie of the Year charge.
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For the Tigers, though, even getting into that conversation would come at a steep cost. Former Reds GM Jim Bowdens read is that teams like the Red Sox and Dodgers would be in the mix, and a hypothetical Detroit package built around prospects would likely fall short of what Cincinnati would want, especially with the Reds favoring young major leaguers over pure prospect volume. De La Cruzs marketability only raises the price, which is why this feels less like a realistic pursuit and more like a reminder of how expensive elite talent can be. [Read more 🡒]