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Top prospects among Tigers' 23 non-roster invitees to spring training
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- Top prospects among Tigers' 23 non-roster invitees to spring training
The Detroit Tigers have invited 23 non-roster players to participate in MLB spring training in Lakeland, Florida, including their top two prospects: shortstop Kevin McGonigle and center fielder Max Clark .
The 23 non-roster players and the entire 40-man roster will arrive at the TigerTown facility for spring training, totaling 63 players. Only 26 players will make the 2026 Opening Day roster .
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Pitchers and catchers are scheduled for their first workout Wednesday, Feb. 11, followed by the first full-squad workout Feb. 15. The first spring training game is set for Feb. 21 against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
THE BUZZ: Kevin McGonigle will make 'immediate impact' for Tigers
Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves in the 2025 season.
Of the 23 non-roster invitees, six are prospects: Clark, McGonigle, second/third baseman Max Anderson , catcher/first baseman Josue Briceño , right-handed reliever Tyler Mattison and shortstop John Peck .
Here's where Baseball America ranks those prospects on the Tigers' top-30 list: McGonigle (No. 1), Clark (No. 2), Briceño (No. 4), Anderson (No. 7) and Peck (No. 15), while Mattison is unranked.
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The Tigers prefer their prospects to experience Triple-A Toledo before making their MLB debuts, which is worth noting given McGonigle and Clark haven't advanced past Double-A Erie.
For that reason, McGonigle isn't expected to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training . The 21-year-old hit .254 with 12 home runs and a .919 OPS in 36 games for the SeaWolves in 2025.
"The importance of reps at each level is part of that development path," Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg said Nov. 12 at MLB's GM Meetings, discussing McGonigle's situation. "That extension from Double-A to Triple-A, getting those reps is part of that development runway to create that environment where we put him in the best position possible to have success when he is in the big leagues."
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Still, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris declined in early December to rule out McGonigle for Opening Day.
"We don't know yet," Harris said Dec. 8 at MLB's Winter Meetings. "Part of it depends on the makeup of the team, part of it depends on Kevin's preparedness to be on the Opening Day roster. There are a lot of factors that go into it. Could we figure it out now? Yeah, probably. But we're focused on other stuff right now."
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The final spring training game is March 24 against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona. Opening Day is scheduled for March 26 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.
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Tigers non-roster invitees for 2026 spring training
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Right-handed pitchers (12): Phil Bickford , Dugan Darnell , Scott Effross , Jack Little , Tyler Mattison , Tyler Owens , Tanner Rainey , Matt Seelinger , Burch Smith , Ricky Vanasco , Cole Waites , Troy Watson .
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Left-handed pitchers (3): Sean Guenther , Enmanuel De Jesus , Bryan Sammons .
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Catchers (2): Josue Briceño , Tomás Nido .
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Infielders (3): Max Anderson , Kevin McGonigle , John Peck .
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Outfielders (3): Max Clark , Corey Julks , Ben Malgeri .
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark headline Tigers' spring training invites
