Aldan, Pennsylvania isn’t exactly a baseball hotbed. It’s a small borough outside Philadelphia, the kind of place where a city council meeting is the main event. So when a resident stood up at a recent meeting and started talking about MLB All-Star voting, people listened.
The woman wasn’t there for zoning or road repairs. She was there for Kevin McGonigle.
“The last thing I want to say is Major League Baseball All-Star voting has started,” she said, according to reports. “You can vote five times a day. Our local kid, Kevin McGonigle, is on the ballot as a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. Please vote every day for Kevin McGonigle, five times.”
It’s the kind of small-town push that usually fades into the background. But this year it has extra weight. The All-Star Game is in Philadelphia on July 14, which happens to be McGonigle’s home state. The Tigers rookie grew up about 20 minutes from Citizens Bank Park.
McGonigle, 21, was drafted by Detroit in 2023 and made his big league debut this season. He’s been one of the few consistent bright spots on a Tigers team that’s sitting at 40-50. They’ve had a rough year despite sneaking into the playoffs last fall. The trade rumors around pitcher Tarik Skubal have dominated headlines, but McGonigle has quietly put together a solid rookie campaign.
He’s not a lock for the All-Star roster. He’s not even a sure thing for the final fan vote. But the hometown campaign is real, and it’s got some momentum. Aldan is small enough that a city council shout-out might actually move the needle. Every vote counts, especially when you’re a fringe candidate.
Coincidence or not, the timing lines up. The Phillies are hosting the Midsummer Classic this year, and having a local kid on the field would make for a pretty good story. McGonigle hasn’t said much about the campaign publicly, but his play has done enough talking. He’s hit for average, played solid defense, and given Tigers fans a reason to keep watching during a losing season.
Whether he gets enough votes remains to be seen. But the councilwoman in Aldan is doing her part.
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