Max Clark hits first MLB homer against A’s

Clark worked Jeffrey Springs for a walk in his first MLB plate appearance, then blooped a single into left field in his next trip to the dish to collect his first hit. After bouncing out in the sixth inning, Clark smacked an RBI double off of left-hander Brady Basso in the eighth inning then scored on an error by Tommy White. He also doubled in the ninth inning and scored on a two-run single by Javier Baez. He’s going to have some growing pains, but his dynamic blend of power and speed should make him an intriguing option in deeper mixed leagues.

As expected, Clark joins the Tigers for Friday’s series opener against the Athletics. The 21-year-old outfielder has hit .277/.368/.427 with 10 homers and 21 stolen bases over 89 games at the Triple-A level this season. His dynamic skillset makes him an intriguing mixed league fantasy option right out of the gate.

Clark, who is the 13th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, is hitting .277/.368/.427 in 89 games at Triple-A this season with 10 home runs and 21 steals. He has been heating up in July, slashing .338/.466/.620. On the season, Clark has just a 37.7 percent hard-hit rate in Triple-A, so there may not be tons of power in the profile immediately, but he has tremendous plate discipline, great contact skills, and can run. Clark could be a solid source of batting average and steals this season.

The third overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is up to nine home runs and 37 RBI on the season, while hitting .268 with a .771 OPS at Triple-A. He’s been swinging a hot bat in July with a .306/.433/.571 slash line to go along with three home runs, 10 runs scored, five RBI, three steals, and a 10/11 K/BB ratio. It’s unlikely that he will see many MLB at-bats this season unless the Tigers decide to be sellers at the trade deadline, but Clark is setting himself up to be a starter right out of spring training in 2027.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Báez is dealing with a high-grade ankle sprain and didn’t offer a definitive return timetable. It’s an extremely encouraging diagnosis after Báez appeared to suffer a serious right leg injury during Tuesday’s game against the Braves on an awkward slide into first base while trying to avoid a tag. The 33-year-old underwent an MRI that didn’t reveal any structural damage, but is still going to miss at least a couple weeks, if not longer. It’ll be Wenceel Pérez taking over in center field during his absence. There’s a chance the Tigers decide to bring up top prospect Max Clark at some point in the near future if they decide he’s finally ready.

“That one looked scary,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters after Báez was carted off the field during Tuesday’s game against the Braves following an awkward feet-first slide into first base attempting to avoid a tag. The fact that there isn’t an immediate update from the club following the contest suggests that Báez is probably dealing with a serious injury. There should be some clarity on his status at some point soon. Any sort of extended absence would likely open the door for top prospect Max Clark to take over in center field.

This didn’t look good. Báez was unable to put any weight on his right leg and had to be carted off the field following an awkward slide into first base that left him on the ground in serious pain. He was 0-for-2 before leaving the contest. The major development here is that any sort of extended absence would leave the door open for top prospect Max Clark to take over as Detroit’s primary center fielder. There should be an update on his status shortly.

Clark tied a career high with four hits, including his first Triple-A home run, which traveled 414 feet to straightaway center field. The 21-year-old center fielder appears poised to join longtime minor league teammate Kevin McGonigle as the next impact prospect to arrive in the Motor City as a potential core building block. The third-overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft has let his on-field performance do the talking at the Triple-A level this season as he’s hitting .377/.444/.565 with 10 extra-base hits and six stolen bases through 17 games. The Tigers seem content to roll with veteran Javier Báez in center field for now, but Clark is going to force his way to the big leagues at some point in the coming weeks. He’ll have immediate fantasy appeal as a cheap speed source in deeper mixed leagues, but counting on anything else might be challenging.

Clark has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games with at least one hit in eight straight contests. He’s also up to five stolen bases on the young season. The 21-year-old, who is hitting .421 (16-for-38) so far, looks like a potential top-of-the-order igniter at the highest level and figures to reach Detroit at some point later this summer.

There was a lot of attention paid to Clark’s jewelry and defense this spring, but the 21-year-old is hitting .367 so far this season with six doubles, three RBI, and three steals. Parker Meadows is off to a solid start for the Tigers, so there is no rush to bring Clark up to the big leagues, but an extended stretch like this could expedite things.