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Monsignor Bonner (PA) infielder Kevin McGonigle checks many boxes

Auburn University commit is possible Top 20 MLB Draft pick in 2023

JUPITER, FLORIDA – In industry circles, front offices, player development and scouts are constantly on the look for individuals they can identify as “baseball players.”

You often hear them ask the question: “What makes a baseball player?”

While statistics and advanced analytics measure performance, they don’t pinpoint something else. They don’t answer what makes players tick. What drives them. How do you quantify heart and hustle?

You may not see it on a spreadsheet. But the trained eye sees it on the field.

To “baseball people,” Kevin McGonigle from Aldan, Pennsylvania, and a senior at Monsignor Bonner High School checks a lot of boxes.

“I love the game,” McGonigle told SBLive Sports. “I love to compete. I love helping my team win. That’s what a baseball player should do. And they should be at every game he can be at. Competing is definitely my favorite thing out here. Just going out and facing that guy on the mound. Making that ground ball play. Making that pop up play. Every chance I get on the baseball field, I love it.”

With so much inner drive, it’s no surprise that McGonigle attended the annual Perfect Game Wooden Bat World Championship tournament at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex. McGonigle is playing for Canes National/New York Mets Scout team.

The premiere wood bat tournament is being played at the Spring Training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

For high school seniors, this showcase is their final travel ball tournament. McGonigle, listed at 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, wasn’t about to miss it.  

“This is my last tournament,” the left-handed hitting shortstop/second baseman said. “It’s definitely sad. When you’re coming from PA, and playing on those horrible fields, coming here, it’s nothing but a helpful thing. Playing on those fields back home, it’s very hard. I love playing here. The greats come through here, and hopefully one day, that’s me.”

An Auburn University commit, McGonigle projects to be taken in the first round, perhaps in the top 20 picks.

Monsignor Bonner (PA) senior Kevin McGonigle is committed to play his college baseball at Auburn University, but if he goes among the top 20 picks in 2023 MLB Draft, as some project, he could be playing professional baseball next summer.

Monsignor Bonner (PA) senior Kevin McGonigle is committed to play his college baseball at Auburn University, but if he goes among the top 20 picks in 2023 MLB Draft, as some project, he could be playing professional baseball next summer.

For now, the talk of pro ball is a back-burner issue.

“I’m very, very excited to go to Auburn,” McGonigle said. “That’s been my dream for a while now. Going there, and playing SEC baseball. That’s going to be unreal. Right when they started recruiting me, I could tell it was different from every other school. That coaching staff is amazing. There’s no one better. I’m glad to be in the position I’m in right now.”

The Perfect Game tournament is filled with scouts from all 30 MLB teams, as well as college recruiters. Every one of McGonigle’s at-bats have been closely watched by scouts and media.

“When I’m on the baseball field, I don’t worry about who is watching,” he said. “I don’t pay attention to who is out there watching us play. All I want to do is win. I want to help my team win. I want to make every play I can.

McGonigle has been on the radar of professional teams for years. And the fact remains, a strong senior season could solidify a first-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft.

MLB Pipeline lists the left-handed hitting infielder, who was a member of USA Baseball 18U team, as the seventh best high school position player in the country.

For now, the Monsignor Bonner High School star is staying grounded.

“We’ll see,” McGonigle said of the possibility of being a top-round pick. “My focus is on playing baseball right now, and going to Auburn. That’s all I want to do right now.”

A natural hitter with terrific bat-to-ball skills and a smooth swing, McGonigle batted .457 in 27 high school games as a junior.

How he learned to hit was through working with his father. McGonigle never had a hitting coach growing up.

In warm weather places like Florida, many youth players receive some sort of hitting instruction, usually former big leaguers or professional players.

Instead, McGonigle’s hitting foundation was developed through the assistance of his father.

Another factor for baseball players from the northeast is dealing with the cold weather. McGonigle makes the best of it, and actually sees a benefit to having to deal with the elements.

“I think it’s a helpful thing,” he said. “In the winter, you’ve got to be able to go outside and get used to that cold weather. If you’re on a Major League team, if you make it to October, it ain’t going to be warm. You’ve got to get used to that cold weather. If you can play in the cold weather, you can play in the warm weather. It definitely helps me a lot.”

A lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan, the infielder’s school is a short drive from Citizens Bank Park.

“You can see the city line from the front door of our school,” he said.

Through work, McGonigle’s mom has access to season tickets for the Phillies, and the standout shortstop has attended three games this year. While he’s been in Florida this weekend, he’s followed the progress of the Phillies in their playoff victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Based on how he plays, it’s not surprising that McGonigle’s favorite all-time player is Chase Utley, the hard-nosed former All-Star second baseman.

“Chase Utley is my favorite all-time player, and my favorite Philly all-time,” McGonigle said. “I model my game after him. He plays the game the right way. He plays every inning hard, and just his swing, too. Short-and-sweet.”