The Tigers are calling up top prospect Max Clark, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The club has not confirmed the move, which was first reported by Baseball America’s Emily Waldon.
The promotion comes amid an impressive July for the 2023 first-rounder. The 21-year-old outfielder crushed another home run for Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, giving him five homers this month and continuing a modest power surge that began June 1.
After the lefty-swinging Clark hit just two homers combined in April and May, he now has nine dingers since the calendar flipped to June. Wednesday’s performance in Toledo’s 9-7 loss to Columbus at Huntington Park brought Clark’s slash line in July to .338/.466/.620.
Clark, MLB Pipeline’s 13th-ranked prospect overall, has eight multi-hit games this month and has as many walks (16) as strikeouts as he continues to show a promising hit tool.
Though scouts have always praised Clark’s plate discipline and swing decisions, tweaks to his batting stance have boosted his fly-ball rate, with scouts believing he will develop into an average power hitter and table-setter atop a lineup.
His performance for the Mud Hens has matched those projections, especially of late. Clark entered Thursday hitting .276 with an .802 OPS on the season — right in line with his Minor League career marks of .272 and .808.
