Max Clark has already made a name for himself as a prep outfielder from Indiana. With clutch hitting in the 18u World Cup this past September, he helped lead the United States to gold. 2023 will be his first year of draft eligibility, and he projects to go in the top-5. Max Clark has committed to Vanderbilt for collegiate ball already, but if he does go in the top-5, that commitment will surely be broken. Especially if Clark goes number one overall, which very well could be the case.
Max Clark Draft Profile
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Arm: 65 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60
Strengths
As an outfielder, Clark has all the necessary tools to skillfully man his position. After starting his high school career as a two-way player with a 97-MPH fastball, he has since shifted his focus to mainly the outfield, where his arm will still play a huge part in his game. Through 82 games, Clark posted six outfield assists, three of which came in his junior year. Clark’s 70-grade speed will also play a huge role in his defense, allowing him to make some plays that other guys would not have a chance at.
At the plate, Clark is a patient gap-to-gap hitter. He finishes his high school career with a line of .551/.713/1.027 across 82 games and 342 plate appearances with 113 walks and only 16 strikeouts. To mention his speed once again, Clark has the potential to be a preeminent stolen base threat in the League. He swiped a total of 88 bags across those same 82 games. You could realistically expect multiple 30+ steal seasons from Clark as a professional.
Weaknesses
Despite the gap-to-gap power, Max Clark will not have the power to clear the fences at a handful of parks. With power being his worst tool, he does still grade out as average in that department, but the lack of power in an era that emphasizes the long ball may be the deciding factor that drops Clark from being the number one overall pick.
Max Clark has a tendency for errors in the field as well. Despite his expanded range over the average outfielder, he has also committed six errors in 82 games. This will definitely be something to keep an eye on as he develops, but not something that he can not improve upon.
MLB Player Comparison
When describing prospects like Max Clark, there are a handful of guys that come to mind. Should his power not develop the way that most would hope it to, the closest comparison would be Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles. Mullins is an outfielder with more gap-to-gap power than fence-clearing power that can also swipe bags with the best of them. Mullins also strikes out at a below-league-average clip, while walking an average amount. Clark will be much better at drawing walks than Mullins, however, and we could see the most unsurprising surprise in MLB Draft history should the Pittsburgh Pirates take Max Clark over Dylan Crews.
Photo credits:
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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