Kevin McGonigle Was Confused by His Curtain Call

The Detroit Tigers were trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the final game of the 2026 MLB season on Sunday. Kevin McGonigle hit a solo home run to left-center, and it turned out to be his last at-bat of the year.

In the top of the eighth inning, manager A.J. Hinch pulled McGonigle after the rookie had already taken the field at third base. McGonigle pointed to himself and asked, "Me?" Then came the standing ovation from the Comerica Park crowd. The 22-year-old played 156 games for Detroit in 2026 and was one of the few bright spots in a 76-86 season.

Kevin McGonigle Speaks Out About Being Pulled

McGonigle talked to Jason Beck of MLB.com after the game about the eighth-inning move. "I was more confused. I didn't expect that. It was really cool," he said.

A Rookie Season Among the Best Since 1947

McGonigle finished with a .278 batting average, 18 home runs and 72 RBIs, plus 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He posted a .376 on-base percentage, a .430 slugging percentage and an .806 OPS. He entered Sunday leading all American League position players in bWAR , not just rookies, and his 6.9 mark would be the eighth highest by a rookie since the Rookie of the Year Award debuted in 1947. He could well win the American League award this year.

A.J. Hinch Was Going to Pull Him in the Seventh Inning

Hinch had planned to take McGonigle out after his seventh-inning at-bat and had a pinch-runner ready to go. The home run foiled that. Hinch told Beck:

"I think we found the one thing we get to talk to Kevin about improving over the winter, which is the curtain call." "I thought he was going to single or walk or double or something. And then he goes ahead and hits a homer." "Respecting what that accomplishment is matters to me. So I wanted to at least get him a chance to get an ovation in front of our home fans. I probably should've gone to the mound and actually told him what I was doing, but it gave the boys on the bench some ammo to get under Kevin's skin."

"I think we found the one thing we get to talk to Kevin about improving over the winter, which is the curtain call."

"I thought he was going to single or walk or double or something. And then he goes ahead and hits a homer."

"Respecting what that accomplishment is matters to me. So I wanted to at least get him a chance to get an ovation in front of our home fans. I probably should've gone to the mound and actually told him what I was doing, but it gave the boys on the bench some ammo to get under Kevin's skin."

Hinch also called it an "incredible season, and a fitting way for him to cap it with some good at-bats today and the opposite-field homer." The Tigers missed the postseason, but McGonigle gave them plenty to build on heading into 2027.