Max Clark Stats & Scouting Report

AB	140
AVG	.264
OBP	.344
SLG	.421
HR	2

Full name Maxwell Reece Clark
Born 12/21/2004 in Franklin, IN
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Franklin (Ind.) Community HS
Drafted in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2023 (signed for $7,697,500).

View Draft Report

School: Franklin (Ind.) Community HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Age At Draft: 18.6
BA Grade:60/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 50. Run: 70. Field: 60. Arm: 70.

A high school hitter from Indiana has never been selected among the top 10 picks in the draft, but Clark is well-positioned to become the first thanks to his combination of pure hitting ability, athleticism and big-time supplemental tools. Clark has long been considered one of the best pure hitters in the 2023 class, thanks to a smooth, balanced swing that’s quick, compact and through the hitting zone with a good bat path. On top of a clean mechanical swing, Clark has advanced strike-zone discipline and hand-eye coordination, with an ability to manipulate his swing based on the situation and location of the pitch. He rarely swings and misses and over a 765-pitch sample with Synergy from 2020-2022, Clark missed at just a 13% rate. In general, Clark has a line drive, hit-first approach at the plate, but he lowered his handset this spring in an attempt to drive the ball for more power, and could grow into solid or better power in the future thanks to a well-proportioned and muscular, 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. While his future impact potential is perhaps the biggest question of his profile, there’s no doubting Clark’s supplemental tools. He has routinely turned in 70-grade run times, both in workout environments and in games, with excellent quickness out of the box and the ability to turn infield ground balls into singles and liners to the gap into doubles. His speed plays well on the bases and in center field, where he should be a plus defender with standout athleticism and solid defensive instincts. He has one of the best throwing arms in the prep class, a 70-grade tool that has been into the mid 90s on the mound. Clark is committed to Vanderbilt, but is expected to be a top-five pick thanks to all-star upside via a well-rounded tool set and no-doubt center field profile.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 60/High

Track Record: In a draft that was viewed as having a five-player top tier, the Tigers picked third with three top outfielders still on the board. Detroit could pick between Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford or high school outfielders Walker Jenkins or Clark. The Tigers chose Clark, valuing his ability to impact the game both at the plate and in the field, where he’s viewed as a relatively surefire center fielder. Clark is just the seventh prep position player from Indiana to ever be drafted in the first round. Of the previous six, only Gary Thurman ever reached the majors, though 2021 first-rounder Colson Montgomery will likely change that before long. While Indiana high school baseball isn’t as competitive as many of the warm-weather hotbeds, there are few concerns about Clark’s ability to handle top-level competition. He consistently performed against the best high school players in the country, even when he was playing against players a year older than him. He was consistently one of the best players on the showcase circuit. After playing wide receiver for Franklin Community High during the fall, Clark hit .646 in 2023 with a state-record 52 walks. He was named BA High School Player of the Year. Clark signed for $7.697 million, the second-highest draft bonus in Tigers history, trailing only Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020.

Scouting Report: Clark has the potential to be a five-tool player. That’s a term that’s too often thrown around for players who barely scrape average in one of the five tools, but in Clark’s case, it’s realistic. He could end up with all five tools grading out as plus. Clark has plus-plus speed, a plus-plus arm, the range to be a plus defender in center field and the bat-to-ball skills to be a plus hitter as well. Projecting his power to be plus is a little more speculative, because he’s a hitter whose line-drive swing has generally been more geared to hitting for average. To address this, he lowered his hand setup to get to more power in 2023. With Rob Metzler and Mark Conner leading the scouting department, the Tigers have emphasized adding a slew of advanced hitters, and Clark fits right in with that approach. He stays balanced at the plate and rarely swings and misses. Defensively, he aggressively tracks balls in the gaps, showing why he was also an excellent wide receiver in high school. Unlike most speedy center fielders, Clark’s arm is a real weapon as well. He threw in the mid 90s off the mound in high school, and he racked up two assists in just 23 pro games.

The Future: Clark got a brief taste of the Florida State League in 2023. He’s expected to start at Low-A Lakeland in 2024 with a goal of playing his way to High-A West Michigan. His combination of speed, defense and hitting ability gives him a high probability of being a useful big leaguer, and if his power develops, he could become a cornerstone of the Tigers’ lineup. N

Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 70

Draft Prospects

School: Franklin (Ind.) Community HS Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Age At Draft: 18.6
BA Grade:60/High
Tools:Hit: 60. Power: 50. Run: 70. Field: 60. Arm: 70.

A high school hitter from Indiana has never been selected among the top 10 picks in the draft, but Clark is well-positioned to become the first thanks to his combination of pure hitting ability, athleticism and big-time supplemental tools. Clark has long been considered one of the best pure hitters in the 2023 class, thanks to a smooth, balanced swing that’s quick, compact and through the hitting zone with a good bat path. On top of a clean mechanical swing, Clark has advanced strike-zone discipline and hand-eye coordination, with an ability to manipulate his swing based on the situation and location of the pitch. He rarely swings and misses and over a 765-pitch sample with Synergy from 2020-2022, Clark missed at just a 13% rate. In general, Clark has a line drive, hit-first approach at the plate, but he lowered his handset this spring in an attempt to drive the ball for more power, and could grow into solid or better power in the future thanks to a well-proportioned and muscular, 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. While his future impact potential is perhaps the biggest question of his profile, there’s no doubting Clark’s supplemental tools. He has routinely turned in 70-grade run times, both in workout environments and in games, with excellent quickness out of the box and the ability to turn infield ground balls into singles and liners to the gap into doubles. His speed plays well on the bases and in center field, where he should be a plus defender with standout athleticism and solid defensive instincts. He has one of the best throwing arms in the prep class, a 70-grade tool that has been into the mid 90s on the mound. Clark is committed to Vanderbilt, but is expected to be a top-five pick thanks to all-star upside via a well-rounded tool set and no-doubt center field profile.