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, but right it’s a bit choppy and disconnected, producing a fair amount of ground balls and opposite-field contact. He has 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 – 40

Clark currently shows below average raw power, with his max exit velocity (106.7 mph) and 90th percentile exit velocity (102.0 mph) comfortably below MLB averages. He has shown some flashes of potential average game pop, though, but to reach it he will likely need further swing refinements to produce more fly balls to the pull field.

Run – 70

Clark is a plus-plus runner who consistently gets 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 – 65

Clark’s left arm is a true weapon that saw him reach 97 mph from the mound. His throws have good carry and accuracy from the outfield, and he likes to air it out, sometime making daring and perhaps ill-advised throws.

Overall

Max Clark still offers potential All-Star upside, but halfway through his first full season in pro ball he is looking more like a solid regular in the Sal Frelick or Leody Taveras mold. His speed and defense should work at every level, and he plays an aggressive, winning brand of baseball. But the gap between what he is now and what he could be in the future is large enough that we have lowered our expectations slightly. We still think he’s a top-100 prospect, but likely more in the 75-100 range than toward the front of the list.

Updated 6/20/24