Lost in all the news with the Tigers this past week was that the team announced which prospects will be going to 2026 Spring Training as non-roster players. Detroit will send several of their top prospects, including Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark.
The prospects
Infielder Max Anderson, as we noted in our Tigers farm review, was one of the best hitters in the Detroit system last year.
A second-round pick from Nebraska in 2023, Anderson had 19 home runs and 52 extra-base hits between Double-A and Triple-A. Superb contact skills, and there’s power there, making Anderson a prospect to watch heading into 2026.
John Peck slashed .301/.359/.433 with 11 home runs and 39 extra-base hits between High-A and Double-A last season. Peck, a seventh-round pick from 2023, is a shortstop by trade but has experience playing second and third, as well.
There’s some swing-and-miss in Peck’s game. The 23-year-old had a Whiff% just slightly above 30% last season with High-A West Michigan.
Kevin McGonigle missed time on the injured list. Injuries were the only thing to slow down McGonigle last season, who hit 19 home runs and 52 extra-base hits over 88 combined games between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A
McGonigle was one of the best contact hitters in the Minors last season. Very little swing-and-miss for the 21-year-old, who walked (59) more than he struck out (36) last season.
Max Clark is one of those grinder-type hitters. Last season, the 2023 first-round pick posted a .835 OPS in a season where he hit 14 home runs between West Michigan and Erie. Additionally, Clark worked pitchers to the max; his take rate was above 62% last season — on the top-20 — in High-A, and fewer than 30% of those resulted in called strikes.
Josue Briceno is a slugging catcher who broke out in 2024 down in Arizona via the Arizona Fall League. His numbers in Double-A took a tumble after he posted a 1.024 with West Michigan last season.
Other notables
Pitchers Phil Bickford, Dugan Darnell, Scott Effross, Sean Guenther, Enmanuel De Jesus, Jack Little, Tyler Mattison, Tyler Owens, Tanner Rainey, Bryan Sammons, Matt Seelinger, Burch Smith, Ricky Vanasco, Cole Waites, and Troy Watson are among the pitchers who will be in camp.
Effross had success with the Cubs and Yankees in his Major League career. However, health has not been on his side. The right-hander only pitched in 11 Major League games since the start of the 2023 season.
Ben Malgeri, Corey Julks, and Tomas Nido are among the position players. Julks has experience with the White Sox. Nido, meanwhile, returns to the Tigers for another season.
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