His professional career may be just getting started, but Max Clark has already shown he has what it takes to become a mainstay in the Motor City.
After a dominant July, the 19-year-old Detroit Tigers outfield prospect delivered yet another multi-hit game for High-A Western Michigan on Thursday, scoring two runs to lead his team to a 5-4 victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
The former No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, Clark spent the first half of this season getting an extended look at Single-A Lakeland, where he posted a strong .286/.386/.421 slash line with seven home runs, 58 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
Since his promotion to High-A West Michigan on July 21, Clark has compiled an outstanding slash line of .382/.432/.529 in 34 plate appearances over eight games. In the two week-period since he joined the Whitecaps, he holds the team leads in hits (13) and runs (9) and is tied for third in RBI (5).
Tigers top prospect Max Clark's adjustment to High-A has been extremely quick
Clark is currently riding a10-game hit streak that dates back to July 19, when he was still with Low-A Lakeland. He has recorded multiple hits in four of his eight games at the High-A level. Clark recently represented the Tigers in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 13, where he was the only American League starter to play the entire contest.
The top prospect in the Tigers' farm system, Clark is also the No. 10 prospect in baseball, according to the MLB rankings. He has four plus- to double-plus tools, with his power being the only question remaining. He has shown tremendous patience and an ability to control the zone. If he continues to make mechanical adjustments to adjust his bat path, his power should improve as he matures and develops.
If Clark is able to get more pop from his bat and hit more balls over the fence, he has the potential to be a truly elite five-tool player. For Tigers fans, this is the stuff dreams are made of.
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