GLENDALE – Over the past week, I was fortunate enough to take a trip down to the Arizona Fall League to watch some of the prospects in the Detroit Tigers’ organization.
The Tigers sent seven of their prospects and minor league players to the fall league to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Here is what I saw.
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Kevin McGonigle
Oct. 14, McGonigle started at shortstop for the Scorpions and hit second in the lineup.
The first thing I observed about McGonigle was his medium stature. There is undeniable athleticism and muscle there, and his stature plays well as a middle infielder. His range may not be the best, but his hands and feet work at shortstop.
He was sent to the Fall League to work on defense and seems to have the aptitude to make adjustments when needed to better his game. The question with him is whether he will stick at shortstop or slide over to second base.
His actions could improve, but his throws were on-line and had carry. Power wise, some of his best exit velocities so far in the fall league have been around 103 mph.
McGonigle’s carrying tool has always been his bat. His stance is upright with bent knees and a slight hand pump with a leg kick load. His swing is very leveraged with a nice level bat path through the hitting zone. He looks calm and confident in the box.
He has shown that he adjusts well to each level he moves up in the minor leagues, and has not only a high ceiling, but a high floor as well. I see him as a well above average major league player who has a lane to being an elite, all-star caliber player.
Max Anderson
Oct. 14, Anderson started at third base for the Scorpions and hit third in the lineup.
His stature is larger with broader shoulders, a boxy torso, wider hips and a muscular lower half.
His run tool is below average, coinciding with a below average range. He has mostly been a second baseman in the past but could end up sliding over to third.
Hit wise, the bat is continuing to play in the Fall League just as it did all season in 2025 between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.
He has shown some power and so far has three home runs and three doubles in the fall league. His best exit velocities have been around 103 mph so far in Arizona.
Although the bat plays, the only thing preventing Anderson from looking like an everyday player in the big leagues is his defense. I see him as a platoon player unless the bat translates so well that the Tigers have no choice but to make him a designated hitter.
Kenny Serwa
Oct. 14, Serwa was the starting pitcher for the Scorpions. He pitched three innings and allowed four earned runs and one walk while striking out four batters.
The velocity on his fastball was below average as it sat around 89-90 mph. He can sink it or occasionally carry it at the top of the zone, but it plays flat at times. He featured a slider that sat 78 mph with 1-7 (think of the numbers on a clock) slurvy-type movement.
He also featured two knuckleballs that ranged from 73-81 mph. Knuckleballs are known for the way they dance and often have unpredictable erratic movement. This makes it difficult for batters to hit but is also very hard for pitchers to control and catchers to catch.
His knuckleball got barreled around, however it is worth noting that in Arizona the altitude is significantly higher than in Michigan/Pennsylvania/Ohio (where he has pitched in the minor leagues), so the way the ball reacts with the air in Arizona is different and the pitch had significantly less movement than what it’s had in the past.
Serwa has struggled with strike-throwing and walking batters in the past and gets a bit rattled when behind in counts, but he continues to compete and grind. He pitches to contact more so than he gets swing-and-miss, inducing ground balls and soft contact for outs.
Because of the outlier trait of throwing the knuckleball, there may be a path to the big leagues in a reliever role for Serwa, but because of his age there isn’t much room for projection left.
Carlos Lequerica
Lequerica pitched the eighth inning of the Oct. 14 game, going one scoreless inning while allowing both a walk and a hit with a strikeout.
He has a medium build with square shoulders, a trim torso, and a muscular lower half. He has a high leg kick delivery into a three-quarter arm slot and an open stride delivery. His arm action is easy and fluid.
His arsenal features a fastball he can run arm-side or carry that sits 92 mph. He also throws a slider that sits 83 mph and has an 11-5 shape – his best ones have late bite, and a changeup that sits 85 mph and mirrors one of his fastballs with plenty of arm-side fade and occasional sink.
He spent the 2025 season in High-A West Michigan sharing the setup and closing roles with teammate Dariel Fregio.
Dariel Fregio
Fregio pitched the ninth inning of the Oct. 14 game. He allowed one hit and no earned runs.
He has a larger build with broad shoulders and a muscular lower half. His delivery features a high leg kick into a low three-quarter arm slot and an easy arm action.
He is primarily a sinker/slider pitcher whose arsenal features a sinking fastball that sits 90 mph and late arm-side/sinking action, a slider that sits 84 mph and he spins well with some depth, and a changeup that fades away from left-handed batters and sits 84 mph.
He spent the 2025 season in High-A West Michigan assuming the closing role for the Whitecaps and recorded 43 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.