Because the Detroit Tigers are within the midst of the All-Star break, there are 4 players who were sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be recognized: Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, and Justin Verlander (legends pick). With McGonigle celebrating the All-Star nod as a 21-year-old, he would reveal how his family responded to the news.
Talking to the media before the 2026 All-Star Game on Tuesday night, McGonigle revealed how his mother expressed her emotion upon hearing that he’ll be an All-Star.
Consequently, one could argue that the emotion from his mom, father, and friends got here from the indisputable fact that the sport shall be in Philadelphia, which is his hometown, which has been “hard to place into words” for the young Detroit star.
“Mom began crying,” McGonigle said, via Jeff Skversky. “Dad was pumped, and my two best friends were super excited. And I’m comfortable they’ll be here to experience the complete game with me. It’s hard to place in words. Being back home, like sleeping in my childhood bed last night was unbelievable. But just being here with all these guys, just taking in the complete experience at home is basically, really hard to place into words.”
“Mom began crying”
🧡 Delco native Kevin McGonigle slept in his childhood room last night where he still has a Cole Hamels poster on the wall
The Tigers All-Star grew up an enormous Phillies fan & his favorite player as a child was Chase Utley pic.twitter.com/uQFtoN3S5D
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) July 14, 2026
Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle has been dreaming of this moment
In his rookie season with the Tigers, McGonigle has recorded a .283 batting average to go together with eight home runs and 34 RBIs to earn his first All-Star nod. Subsequently, the shortstop would speak more about how much of a “cool achievement” it’s, and the way he dreamt of a moment like this.
“It is a cool achievement. It was all the time a dream for me to, , come to an All-Star game in Philadelphia and watch as a fan growing up. Now I even have the chance to be on the sector and playing it. Like I said, it’s really hard to place into words,” McGonigle said.
At any rate, McGonigle looks to enjoy every second of the festivities before Detroit (44-52) returns to play on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Because the Detroit Tigers are within the midst of the All-Star break, there are 4 players who were sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be recognized: Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, and Justin Verlander (legends pick). With McGonigle celebrating the All-Star nod as a 21-year-old, he would reveal how his family responded to the news.