Arriving a month early has been hugely beneficial for the top-ranked Tigers prospect (MLB No. 13). He’s been able to put on weight and make tweaks to his swing, raising his hands to create a better direct path, while building relationships with his current and future teammates. "It was nice having the ability to kind of get outside and play long toss in warm weather and shorts instead of negative-six degrees in like March," Clark said on the latest episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast. "I'm really happy with where I am. I've made a lot of steps and I'm excited for this season, no doubt."
Big things are expected of Clark, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 Draft. He had his share of ups and downs last season -- at just 18 years old, he slashed .283/.411/.544 in 12 games with the FCL Tigers before struggling and then ultimately coming up big in Single-A Lakeland's playoff run -- and will have ample opportunity to show off his well-rounded skillset.
Although the Tigers haven't told him if or when he'll get a chance to play in a big league Spring Training game, he does have a locker with his jersey hanging. Where he's almost certain to compete on a large stage, though, is at Spring Breakout. Newly established in 2024, Spring Breakout will be an exhibition series where the best players from each farm system play against each other. The future Tigers are set to play Phillies prospects on Saturday, March 16 at 1:05 p.m. ET, where Clark is expected to be one of seven Top 100 prospects competing.
Between playing at two levels last year and working out over the last several weeks with more teammates -- he's been taking dozens of live at-bats since the start of the month -- Clark has gotten a sense for how talented Detroit's farm system is from the FCL to Triple-A.
SummersMethod.com filmed Max Clark and his daily hitting routine for all to see. Max was the 2023 Indiana Player of the Year out of Franklin Community high school (Grizzly Cubs). He was a 1st team All-State selection and a South All-Star selection.
