The Detroit Tigers have been in a rough spot for quite some time now, with their last playoff appearance coming in 2014. Now, it’s no mystery that Detroit isn’t exactly known for being the most flashy city or team. Miguel Cabrera was the last superstar, and even though he was a fan favorite, he wasn’t known for having a massive personality. However, after taking high school phenom Max Clark in third overall in 2023, this looks to change.
Social Media Presence
Without ever stepping foot on an MLB field, Clark is the 75th most followed Instagram player in the MLB. Clark has 381,000 followers, which doesn’t include his massive following on TikTok and Twitter. To give some context, Clark has more followers than Fernando Tatis Jr, Aaron Judge, and Corey Seager.
Off the field, Clark is known for his fashion and works with a ton of different clothing brands. Once he gets to the MLB, don’t be surprised when Clark is plastered on billboards and commercials all over the country. On top of this, on the field, Clark wears many accessories such as chains, eye black, and everything in between. Although we haven’t seen it as much in the minors compared to high school, expect the drip to make a big return soon.
High School Career
During Clark’s last year of high school, he hit .646 with an OBP of .808 on his way to a Gatorade Player of the Year award. Clark also won this award as a junior, showing his dominance at a young age. For reference, in Bryce Harper’s last high school season, he hit .569 with an OBP of .689.
Now, since high school statistics don’t mean everything, let’s look at Clark’s MLB prospect grades. Clark grades above average in every category but power, which is just average. On a 20-80 scale, Clark has a 50 grade for power, 60 for Hit, 60 for field, 65 for arm, and 70 for run.
Minor League Career (So Far)
During Clark’s brief minor league career, he’s shown flashes but hasn’t been amazing overall. However, that’s expected, considering he’s only 19. In rookie ball, Clark hit .283 with a .411 OBP, two home runs, and four stolen bases. After 12 games, Clark was promoted to single-A.
While in single A, Clark only hit .154 with a .353 OBP, one stolen base, and zero home runs. I wouldn’t be worried at all, though. All you can ask for early on is to see some flashes, which we most certainly did.
