Tigers Earn 29th Pick in 2027 Draft Thanks to Kevin McGonigle

The Detroit Tigers were one of three MLB teams to earn a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) this season, securing an extra pick in the 2027 MLB Draft alongside the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. All three teams will receive a selection in the later stages of the first round.

The Reds earned the first of the three picks, No. 28, by losing one more game than Detroit this season. The Tigers earned the second pick, No. 29, followed by the Guardians at No. 30. This means the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are likely to fall out of the first round due to competitive balance selections.

These three teams earned their picks thanks to the incentive added in 2022. The program requires a player to rank on at least two of MLB Pipeline, ESPN or Baseball America's Top 100 prospect lists and then either win the Rookie of the Year Award or finish as a top-three Cy Young Award finalist.

This marks the most PPI draft picks ever handed out, with the Reds earning one thanks to Sal Stewart winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Detroit's Kevin McGonigle winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award and Cleveland's Parker Messick finishing as a Cy Young finalist.

This also marks the first time a team has been awarded a pick through the incentive even though its player didn't win Rookie of the Year, after McGonigle beat out Messick for the award last night.

This incentive rewards both players and teams. For the players, it gives teams extra motivation to play their young guys rather than waiting and waiting for them to be just right. Instead of keeping prospects in the minors until they are deemed ready, teams have another reason to let them learn and develop at the big-league level. This is something I've always had a gripe with, and it's one of the reasons I love this incentive and what it encourages.

It also helps the teams by rewarding them for trusting their process, their scouts and their players. Playing younger guys in the MLB has always been somewhat taboo because of contract and financial considerations. However, with additional incentives to do so, such as earning a first-round draft pick, teams have another reason to get over whatever concerns were previously keeping them from promoting their young talent.

For Tigers fans, this is especially exciting over the next few years, with a slew of young players chomping at the bit to become everyday players for this team. That means there will be more players on the horizon with opportunities to win the award and earn Detroit additional first-round picks.

Max Clark will have a true opportunity next year to win the award and give Detroit back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners for the first time in Tigers history.

At the same time, though, for Tigers fans, this is a cruel reminder of just how good and deep the Guardians are as well. Of course, it would be Cleveland earning the first-ever draft pick through a player who didn't even win Rookie of the Year. Cleveland will always be a team loaded with wily veterans and hungry young talent.

The incentive may help Detroit, but it's also helping its rivals. All is fair in baseball, though, and this incentive is a true bonus and a great way to try to balance out a league that seemed so lopsided and top-heavy for so long.