Is Max Clark Ready To Join the Detroit Tigers?

When the Detroit Tigers failed to bring in a bat this winter, focus and pressure shifted towards two top prospects raising the ceiling: Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark. While McGonigle broke camp with the Tigers and is surpassing expectations, Clark has been in Toledo doing all he can to show he, too, deserves to wear the old English D.

Clark, the Tigers’ top prospect once McGonigle graduates, has slashed .351/.416/.519 with an identical walk rate and strikeout rate of 11.2% in Toledo. On top of a great offensive start, he’s also added value playing a plus center field and swiping six bags.

Fans are naturally going to want to get top prospects, especially those who are hitting well, up to Detroit as soon as possible. With the Tigers’ offense roughly middle of the pack and Parker Meadows out, a promotion makes sense on paper. But, is Max Clark ready to make the leap?

Stats updated prior to games on April 21.

The Positives and Negatives

If you have watched and followed Max Clark throughout his minor league career, then you know power is not driving his value. He has enough pop to leave the yard, but spraying extra-base hits and using his speed to capture an extra 90 feet is more of his profile. More power should come as he grows and develops.

Clark is a great athlete with well-above-average contact skills and zone coverage, as well as great pitch recognition and an eye for the zone. That sounds a lot like the profile that Scott Harris has preached since he joined the Tigers.

Let’s start with Clark’s approach, which is what I think makes him so good. An 11% walk rate is great, but at times will not translate as well in the majors when more strikes are thrown. Why it could translate for Clark is due to his 21% chase rate, which is almost exactly the same as McGonigle’s, to give you a comparison.

Oftentimes, we see minor league players with great stat lines, but once you start watching, you notice bad chases, a poor approach, and success on mistake pitches leading to their positive results. It’s a process that does work from time to time, but is not nearly as translatable as Clark’s approach.

Obviously, not offering at balls outside of the zone will lead to pitchers entering the zone, which is another area where Clark capitalizes. His in-zone contact rate is an elite 93%, well above the MLB average of 82%. Sure, that will likely dip in the majors, but it shows you the type of zone coverage Clark offers.

He’s going to make plenty of contact, but what kind of impact will that contact have?

Keep in mind, we are talking about a top-10 prospect in all of baseball, so the negatives can be nitpicky. Making a lot of contact is step one, but lifting the ball will be the next step in Clark’s development.

Watching Clark, you will see a lot of groundballs. So far, he’s at a 47% groundball rate, which is about where he has been throughout his career. Choppers to the right side, but also a high percentage to the left side of the infield off pitches he’s a bit late on. A player with his speed can beat out some of the groundballs, but it will still be a concern once he reaches the majors.

Although he’s more of a line drive hitter than someone you expect to hit a lot of fly balls to the outfield, pulling the ball in the air has been a problem in the past. Clark has recently shown improvements in that area, which could be the sign that he is ready to make the jump.

In terms of exit velocities, he is currently at an average of 88.6 mph with a max of 111.3 mph. His average is almost identical to McGonigle’s, although their different levels need to be considered. A big difference between the two is in launch angle, where McGonigle (18 degrees) is averaging more lift than Clark (10 degrees), which is due to a high groundball rate and more line drives.

Overall, Clark’s profile is the type that often transitions well to the majors. There’s not an obvious hole with breaking balls or off-speed pitches, and he isn’t going to expand the zone, which could lead to trouble. At the very least, you’ll get competitive at-bats, plus speed, and great defense in center. All things the Tigers could use.

Where Does He Fit?

Detroit made the right decision to give Meadows the starting job out of camp. He was doing about what you would have hoped for but, once again, landed on the IL. Detroit has made do in the outfield with a combination of Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling, and Javy Báez. Fine players who have had success in their careers but come with a limited ceiling.

With Zach McKinstry hitting the IL, the team is down one utility chess piece. We have yet to see Vierling play third, but with Hao-Yu Lee up, he can man the position along with McGonigle, kicking Báez to short.

Jahmai Jones, a short-side platoon specialist, staying on the roster makes this a little trickier. He’s needed in order to fill in against lefties, but that means Pérez is the likely candidate to go back to Toledo, where he started the season with a 120 wRC+. Let’s not forget Pérez was a useful player last season, as well.

There could be a case for Lee returning to Toledo. That would make Báez more of a true infielder, with McGonigle spending more time at third, and Vierling seeing time on the dirt. Your outfield would be Clark in center, Greene in left, and Jones/Carpenter/Pérez in right.

And if you are wondering about Torkelson, who I don’t think will be sent down anytime soon, there’s a path where Keith takes first, but you are left without a backup or platoon partner outside of Vierling’s one game there in a Tigers uniform.

All of this to say, yes, you could find a spot. Even when McKinstry returns. I think Jones has a longer leash considering how few righty options they have and Clark’s addition being a lefty bat, but Perez could fill that role. Any of Lee, Perez, or Jones departing for Clark would be worth it, in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

What we have seen from Clark to start the season tells me he’s ready for a promotion. I don’t think he will make the same immediate impact as McGonigle, but it is within the realm of possibility. All we wanted out of Meadows was around a 90 wRC+ with plus defense and speed. Can Clark give the Tigers that, with a higher ceiling, today? I think so.

Detroit’s offense has been perfectly fine and does not need Clark to come in and be its savior. You could start him in the bottom third of the order, adding a high-OBP bat that can reach base ahead of McGonigle and the top third. Lengthen your lineup, improve your defense, and add much-needed speed? Sounds good to me.

The post Is Max Clark Ready To Join the Detroit Tigers? appeared first on Just Baseball.