Bryce Harper was standing in the All-Star Game clubhouse Tuesday night when he spotted a kid wearing a Tigers jersey who probably shouldn’t be here yet. Kevin McGonigle is 21 years old. He’s played less than a full season in the big leagues. But he’s already an All-Star, already signed an eight-year, $150 million extension, and already carrying the weight of a Detroit franchise that thinks it found its next face.
Harper saw something else in him though. Something familiar.
Here’s the thing about Harper. He grew up in Las Vegas. He spent seven years in Washington. But Philadelphia grabbed him and never let go. He’s the adopted son of a city that doesn’t adopt outsiders easily. So when he looks at McGonigle — a Delaware County kid who grew up screaming at opposing fans in Citizens Bank Park — he sees the reflection of something he wishes the Phillies had locked down.
“He’s had a great career thus far, and I said it the other day, I wish he was a Phillie just cause he was from here and everything else,” Harper told reporters, according to FOX29’s Jeff Skversky. “I asked him the other day, ‘where were you at in ’22 {NL pennant-winning campaign}’…. and he said ‘we were in the stands yelling at all the other people for you.’ I think mindset, things like that, you could tell the type of person he is. And it fits Philly.”
The Phillies had the 27th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. They took shortstop Aidan Miller, a top-30 prospect who recently had back surgery and might not debut anytime soon. Detroit grabbed McGonigle 10 picks later. That decision is going to age interestingly.
McGonigle didn’t waste time. He debuted in June, signed his extension before July even hit, and started hitting immediately. Through 413 plate appearances this season, he’s slashing .283/.392/.420 with eight homers, 34 RBIs, 11 steals and an .812 OPS. He went hitless in his first All-Star Game, but that barely matters. The Tigers think they have a foundational player. Harper thinks they’re right.
He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout Tuesday night. The AL won 4-1. Not a great showing for the National League, but Harper wasn’t focused on that. He was focused on the kid from Delco who could’ve been wearing red pinstripes.
They’re unlikely to ever share a clubhouse. Free agency is years away for McGonigle, and the Tigers locked him up early for a reason. But Harper made it clear that the connection goes deeper than baseball. Both players love Philadelphia the way the city demands to be loved — loud, intense, and without apology.
“It fits Philly,” Harper said.
That’s about all you need to know.
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