This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Clark is batting .138 (8-for-58) with a double and no home runs in his past 15 games with Triple-A Toledo.
The 21-year-old had a hot start to the campaign with a 1.010 OPS and 10:6 BB:K in his first 17 Triple-A contests, but his production has cratered since mid-April. Clark remains one of Detroit's top prospects, but he'll likely need to show he can consistently handle Triple-A pitching before he's in serious consideration for a promotion.
Clark is slashing .352/.439/.537 with zero home runs, six steals, a 15.2 percent walk rate and a 7.6 percent strikeout rate in 14 games for Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers are currently deploying a combination of Javier Baez and Matt Vierling in center field with Parker Meadows (broken arm, concussion) on the 60-day injured list. Clark will certainly stay at Triple-A for the rest of the week, as the Tigers gain an extra year of control by keeping him down until April 20, but once that threshold is passed, Detroit could hand the keys to Clark in center field. As with many great up-the-middle prospects, Clark's power is a little behind the rest of his tools, but he is such a good pure hitter that he should get the most of his average raw power.
This was the expected outcome for the top prospect, who has yet to appear above the Double-A level and is still only 21 years old. While Clark went just 2-for-18 with five strikeouts in Grapefruit League play, he still managed to impress manager A.J. Hinch with his preparation and attention to detail, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports. Clark will likely see time at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season, and he could force himself up to the majors if he plays well in the minors, though he'll need to be added to the 40-man roster first.
In 26 games since getting promoted to Double-A Erie, Clark is slashing .274/.371/.481 with four home runs and 10 RBI.
Clark has adjusted well so far to the jump up in level, and he's also impacting the game with his speed, as he has six steals in six attempts for Erie. The 20-year-old outfielder is one of the top prospects in baseball, and he has the potential to be a five-tool player at some point in the majors. For now, expect Clark to keep developing at Double-A, with a promotion to Triple-A Toledo a possibility later in the year.
The Tigers promoted Clark from High-A West Michigan to Double-A Erie on Sunday.
Clark will move up to Double-A after slashing .285/.430/.427 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases over 68 games with West Michigan. The 20-year-old outfielder will make the jump to Erie along with two of the Tigers' other top prospects in shortstop Kevin McGonigle and catcher Josue Briceno.
Over his last eight games for High-A West Michigan, Clark has a .988 OPS, one home run, two stolen bases, six RBI and eight runs scored.
Clark has been solid all season at High-A, but he's really kicking things into high gear recently with four multi-hit efforts over those eight contests. He's now slashing .263/.417/.392 overall across 58 games for the Whitecaps. The 20-year-old is one of the top prospects in baseball, and while the Tigers figure to be patient with him, Clark is already showcasing the skills that make him such an intriguing talent.
Tigers' Max Clark: Will stick in minor-league camp
Rotowire
Clark was not invited to major-league spring training and will instead focus on his development on the minor-league side, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Fellow top Detroit prospects Thayron Liranzo and Hao-Yu Lee were invited to participate with the major leaguers, but Clark will remain in minor-league camp for now. The 20-year-old still has a bright future and is among the top prospects in MLB, though he's yet to appear above the High-A level. Expect the Tigers to remain patient with Clark as he gets accustomed to the professional game.
10:24
0:59
0:53
0:50
0:39
7:51
1:53
1:05
1:14
1:23
1:28
1:19
0:41
7:12
1:59
2:00
0:50
8:03
1:19
0:51
