Max Clark Scouting Report

Max Clark Scouting Report

Background: Max Clark first starting drawing national attention at the 2021 World Wood Bat Association Championship when, as a sophomore, he outperformed many members of the 2022 class. He’s been considered one of the top two prep players in this draft class ever sense. He’s a plus athlete, who also played wide receiver for his football team, and he’s an outgoing, gregarious young man. Clark is also a bit of a weight room rat, and his social media accounts made him Internet famous long before he was drafted. On the field he’s a fiery competitor with supreme confidence that may rub some opponents the wrong way.

Physical description: Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, but may be an inch or two shorter than. He has a lean, muscular torso, and a powerful lower half with thick, robust thighs. Overall he’s a sinewy athlete who is close to physically maxed out.

Hit: 50

Max Clark shows all the ingredients of a potential plus hit tool in the future, but his swing remains a bit of a work in progress. He takes a short, quick path to the ball. It’s a relatively flat stroke, which allows him to make good contact with elevated fastballs, and makes him shockingly strong against left-handed pitchers, but leaves him vulnerable to breaking balls below his hands. He does show an advanced feel for the strike zone and doesn’t chase much, but he can be a bit passive at times, letting drivable pitches go by for strikes.

Power: 50

Clark currently shows below average raw power, with his exit velocity numbers generally coming in below MLB averages. He has show flashes of useful in-game pop, however, and he overhauled his batting stance prior to the 2025 season. The move from a more crouched, closed stance with his bat upright, to a more relaxed, open stance with more weight on his backside should theoretically allow him to generate more loft in games.

Run: 65

Clark is very close to a plus-plus runner, consistently getting from home to first in 4.0-4.1 seconds. He’s an aggressive, instinctual base runner who legs out doubles and triples, and he should steal 30+ bases annually.

Defense: 60

Clark has the speed and instincts to capably man center field at an above average level, and he has more than enough arm strength and range to be plus or better in the corners.

Arm: 50

Clark showed mid-90s velocity from the mound in high school, but his arms plays closer to average in the outfield.

Overall: Max Clark has shown an impressive ability to make adjustments against pro pitching, and his speed and outfield defense should remain comfortably plus in his prime. There’s still a wide range out potential future outcomes here, dependent upon the development of his bat. The upside is a consistently plus regular and multi-time All-Star in the Jonny Damon mold. His ability to hit lefties should keep his floor relatively high, perhaps as second-division regular akin to Leody Taveras. His most likely outcome is probably somewhere in between, as a quality everyday regular who puts up 2-3 WAR a season.

Updated 3/15/25