The Tigers find themselves short-handed in center field, with the best center field prospect in baseball a short drive away.
But it's not quite time to call Max Clark to Detroit.
“We’re not ready to bring him up right now," Tigers pres Scott Harris said Tuesday on MLB Network. "He’s a really important part of our future. We took him first in my first draft, and then we took Kevin (McGonigle) right behind him, and those remain two really important pieces for us moving forward. I think with Max, it’s fun to see him off to a really good start in Triple A.
"Max’s ceiling is one that can put pressure on the opposing team in all phases of the game. He’s certainly performing well offensively — that’s a really big part. I think he’s going to hit for more power as he gets more comfortable with his swing and his strike‑zone decision‑making."
Clark is hitting .303 with an .822 OPS through his first 25 games with Triple-A Toledo, after finishing last season with Double-A Erie. But he's cooled off of late, going 4-for-his-last 30 with three times as many strikeouts as walks. He had more walks than strikeouts before that.
And as Harris said Tuesday, "We also want to see him continue to develop the other areas of his game." Clark, 21, made his first error of the season on Tuesday night when he botched a fly ball, but has otherwise played a clean centerfield.
"He can be an elite centerfielder. We’re really focused on his jumps, his reads and getting off the ball quickly in center field," said Harris. "We also think he can put a lot of pressure on the opposing team on the bases. He’s stolen a lot of bases so far in Triple‑A (8-for-8). We think there’s more that he can grab there. We’re trying to stay focused on his leads, his fundamentals, and his ability to read different types of pitchers and get a good jump. That can help us continue to apply pressure, because I think that’s a dimension of the game we haven’t really leaned on yet. But once Max and some of these other players get up here, that’s going to be another way that we can help the Tigers win games.
The Tigers lost starting centerfielder Parker Meadows to a broken arm earlier this month, and Javy Baez, who has made multiple starts in center in Meadows' absence, left Tuesday night's loss to the Braves with a leg injury. But the Tigers won't rush Clark to Detroit. Matt Vierling will remain their primary centerfielder moving forward, with Wenceel Perez mixing in when need be.
But could Clark debut later this season?"
“I think there’s a really good chance that he ends up helping us, but it’s premature to actually forecast when that’s going to happen, said Harris. "We just want to keep him focused where his feet are, and that’s in Toledo right now. He’s done a great job so far. We’ve got to keep getting better before we can have that conversation.”
