Max Clark gets first day off since joining Tigers

Clark got off to a tremendous start to his MLB career during his first two games in Sacramento. In the seven games since, he has gone 6-for-28 (.214) with four RBI, one extra-base hit, and an 11/3 K/BB ratio. He also has yet to attempt a stolen base in the majors despite being a stolen base threat in the minor leagues. Overall, it’s been a solid enough early stretch for Clark, but the lack of stolen bases and inconsistent power production may keep his ceiling in check from a redraft fantasy perspective.

Clark’s first hit was a fly ball to left field that left his bat at 82.9 mph in the second inning. Even with the bases-loaded and only one out, the Tigers didn’t score. In the seventh inning, Clark roped a fly ball to centerfield and wound up on third easily with his speed. The 21-year-old outfielder is far from a finished product, but Clark has reached base safely in all eight major league games he’s played so far. He also made a great catch on a sharp fly ball off the bat of Drew Gilbert in the second inning. Clark is hitting .333 with a .966 OPS and six RBI so far.

Clark has gotten off to an extremely encouraging start at the highest level, hitting .321 (9-for-28) with one homer and four RBI through seven games since being called up from Triple-A Toledo last week. The Tigers have shown zero indication that they’re considering moving their top positional prospect towards the top of the order, which limits his counting stats upside for the final two months. He should provide enough of a batting average boost, in addition to some stolen bases, to be worthy of a roster spot in deeper fantasy leagues.

In just his second game, Clark has his first MLB homer; a two-run shot off Jack Perkins. He also singled, and the 21-year-old has gone 5-for-9 in his first two games while also drawing a walk and knocking in three runs. It’s a very small sample, but it’s pretty obvious that Clark has the talent to be a major factor at the highest level. There’s a good chance this is a five-category contributor someday, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he was more helpful than not in his eligible fantasy formats for the remainder of the campaign.

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.