Bailey Clark Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Bailey Thomas Clark
Born 12/03/1994 in Asheville, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Duke
Drafted in the 5th round (164th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 (signed for $450,000).

View Draft Report

Clark came into the college season with a significant amount of buzz, coming off a strong summer pitching in the Cape Cod League and for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. He started the season opener for Duke against preseason Top-10 team California and dazzled, touching 98 mph early and flashing a swing-and-miss breaking ball. But Clark couldn't continue the magic. His stuff backed up, command eluded him, and after 10 starts, he found himself buried in Duke's bullpen, finishing the regular season 4-4, 6.13. The bullpen is where Clark might ultimately belong. Clark's long and deep arm action leads to inconsistency with his breaking ball and his command. He'll show flashes of dominance, but there are times when he loses the zone completely. Teams could still be enticed by Clark's mid-90s velocity and his summer showing, but his draft stock slipped this spring, and depending on where he's taken, Clark might be better off returning for his senior year.

Top Rankings

The Cubs wound up selecting 27 pitchers among their 38 picks in 2016. The lean Clark, who has a prototypical pitcher's body, was the biggest lottery ticket of the bunch. He opened the season as Duke's Opening Day starter and finished it out of the rotation. Poor command plagued Clark, starting with his long arm action, then was compounded by lost confidence. The Cubs took it slow after signing him for $450,000, building him up before he made his debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Clark threw just 11.2 innings after signing but didn't walk a batter, an encouraging sign after he walked 26 in 59 innings while posting a 5.61 ERA at Duke. Clark's fastball touched 98 mph this spring and sits in the 92-95 range with lively late movement. Both his changeup and hard 82-84 mph slider have had their moments, though his arm action makes it hard for him to repeat his release point on his breaking ball. Clark went back to school for the fall instead of attending instructional league, in part because of sports hernia surgery. Cubs coaches can't wait to get their hands on him in spring training.

Clark came into the college season with a significant amount of buzz, coming off a strong summer pitching in the Cape Cod League and for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. He started the season opener for Duke against preseason Top-10 team California and dazzled, touching 98 mph early and flashing a swing-and-miss breaking ball. But Clark couldn't continue the magic. His stuff backed up, command eluded him, and after 10 starts, he found himself buried in Duke's bullpen, finishing the regular season 4-4, 6.13. The bullpen is where Clark might ultimately belong. Clark's long and deep arm action leads to inconsistency with his breaking ball and his command. He'll show flashes of dominance, but there are times when he loses the zone completely. Teams could still be enticed by Clark's mid-90s velocity and his summer showing, but his draft stock slipped this spring, and depending on where he's taken, Clark might be better off returning for his senior year.
As a Duke recruit, Clark is considered a tough sign, but scouts are intrigued by his upside and think he could be a good arm three years down the road. He has a physical, projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds and has solid arm action. He sits 87-90 mph with more in the tank thanks to his frame and arm speed. He shows the potential to throw four pitches, but his secondary stuff needs a lot of work.