The Detroit Tigers have plenty of high-quality prospects in the pipeline, with Max Clark being the one fans are most excited for. Clark has been reassigned to minor league camp, though, and it will be some time until he makes his MLB debut.
Now, AJ Hinch is coming out with praise for his top prospect, per Jason Beck of MLB.com
“I love Max Clark. I love the way he goes about his work. He's obsessed with baseball and getting better. Up to last night, he and I were texting last night about different game scenarios. So the way he is hungry to be better is really encouraging,” Hinch said.
The 21-year old was selected with the third overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Tigers and got the invite to big league camp this year. He played in nine games, going two for 18 at the plate with an RBI and a walk. Still, Hinch believes the kid will continue to improve despite poor production, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.
“The way he is hungry to be better is really encouraging,” Hinch said on Monday. “I know production-wise he was disappointed with his overall performance, but this was a great stepping stone for him to being a more well-rounded player.”
As spring training begins to wind down, regular players will start playing longer into games, which would have limited the time Clark would have seen.
“For Max, he basically would be sitting around waiting for one at-bat at the end of games,” Hinch said. “The playing time has dried up a little bit, and it’s time for him to go get into his routine and take some things he learned in this camp and go apply it day to day in his work.”
Clark was impressive in Double-A last year and will likely see more time at the Triple-A level this year, and have a chance to refine his skills.
Still, the future of the Tigers' outfield looks bright with Clark in it. Meanwhile, the big league club will prepare for opening day, which is set for March 26 on the road against the San Diego Padres.
