New Detroit Tigers outfielder Max Clark has already made some adjustments.
The 18-year-old, hitting too many balls on the ground, decided he needed to change the mechanics of his swing last winter — following an up-and-down summer in which he learned to deal with failure — and bought into the process. When that happened, Clark checked another box on the Tigers’ list.
It paid off on Sunday, when the Tigers selected Clark with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals chose LSU right-hander Paul Skenes and LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, respectively, followed by the Tigers passing on Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford.
“I genuinely had no idea,” Clark said. “I was excited to get the call.”
“We think Max is an elite talent,” said first-year Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris. “He was the best player on our board at that pick, and we are thrilled that he got to our pick. We think Max is a five-tool player. I think that label gets thrown around way too much in our industry. We think Max has all five.”
THE PICK: Tigers select high school outfielder Max Clark with No. 3 pick in 2023 MLB draft
Clark said he plans to sign an under-slot deal with the Tigers for a $7,698,000 bonus, which is the value of the No. 4 overall pick. The No. 3 overall pick came with a bonus slot value of $8,341,700.
Langford, whom the Tigers passed on, will sign an over-slot deal with the Texas Rangers, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Rangers drafted Langford at No. 4.
“We had him evaluated at a place on our board that we were very excited when we got to No. 3,” Harris said. “This was by no means an attempt to drive down a bonus. Any position bonus savings will be reinvested into the rest of the draft.”
The adjustments from Clark, a left-handed hitter, paint a picture of what the Tigers are getting, both now and in the future. He is an elite high school player with the determination to do whatever it takes to become a superstar in the big leagues.
If he didn’t expect greatness, he might not have taken the time to tweak the mechanics of his swing.
“He made a significant change to where he holds his hands this spring,” Harris said. “We feel like that helped his bat path, but it also showed us that this is a guy who has a chance to make the necessary adjustments at each level throughout the organization.”
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Tigers scouts have been watching Clark for several years, and this past winter (while Clark was making adjustments), there were at least two trips to the local facility in Indiana where he trains.
A trio of Tigers — Harris, assistant general manager Rob Metzler and scouting director Mark Conner — set the groundwork for a long-term relationship through in-person meetings.
The Tigers hosted Clark for a workout at Comerica Park on June 13.
“Last year, Max had a pretty flat path,” Conner said. “If you saw the results of his swings, it ended up being a lot of ground balls, and he used the opposite field probably a little bit more than he did this year.”
The two key changes were to the placement of his hands on the bat and the base of his stance in the batter’s box.
“This gave him a little bit more looseness and a little bit of a path adjustment where he can lift the baseball,” Conner said. “This spring, he was showing the ability to lift the ball to the pull side much more. Max has the ability to use all parts of the field, like he had done in years past, as he started getting stronger, these adjustments have let him tap into some of the future power that’s coming.”
Clark hit .646 with nine doubles, five triples, six home runs, 52 walks and five strikeouts in 28 games as a senior at Franklin Community High School. He also stole 35 bases. His performance led him to Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year honors.
He is lauded for his pure hit tool.
But he knows he needs to tap into more power.
“I would definitely say that it is below the other four (tools),” Clark said. “But in my opinion, it’s still average. My goal is to continue to develop that, and obviously as I grow with age as well as strength, that’s going to come naturally. … At the end of the day, I’m a gap-to-gap guy. I’m a hitter first, and the power will come. I’m looking forward to it coming, of course, but it’s not my main focus.”
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The Tigers believe Clark will hit for contact from the beginning of his minor-league career and hit for power by the time he advances to the big leagues. The Tigers also believe Clark will be a mainstay in center field.
He is considered a great athlete.
“We obviously love Max’s first step,” Metzler said. “We love his instincts, and we love his closing speed on the ball. We think highly of his ability as an outfielder. … Outfield defense is something that I think goes a long way to saving runs.”
Before Clark’s winter adjustments, he had to handle the disappointment of not meeting his personal goals until the offseason came around. Getting through that grueling summer, amid a surplus of negativity on social media, was the biggest adversity he has faced as a baseball player.
His love for the game helped him stay positive.
“Overcoming that has made me into a brand-new player, brand-new person that is ready to attack all the failures that come in pro ball, that come in the big leagues,” Clark said. “I feel like I’m way more centered there, and I feel like that’s a big piece that I had to learn last summer.”
Moving forward, Clark — who said he thinks his personality and play mirrors two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper — will face immense expectations. He will officially sign his contract, complete a physical and start his professional career in the Florida Complex League.
It could be three years before he joins the Tigers.
There will be challenges, and possibly struggles, at each level in the farm system.
That’s why the adjustments with his hands and his stance are a big deal for the Tigers’ future.
“Throughout the winter, when I was going through all these swing changes, I just immediately bought in,” Clark said. “It’s really, really hard to make changes when you’re not bought in immediately, so that’s what I did. I tackled it head on, and it made me a fantastic player in the spring. I’ll continue to do that.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.