The Tigers are set to bring up Max Clark, the top outfield prospect reported Emily Waldon of Baseball America and Just Baseball Media. Detroit still has to select his contract and clear a 40-man spot first, but the move would put the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft on the verge of his big league debut.
Clark has been one of the minors’ hottest hitters lately, and the timing of this call-up says plenty about how much the Tigers trust his bat. Over the full season, he’s hit .276/.368/.434 with 10 homers and 21 steals in 413 plate appearances.
Since mid-June, though, he’s taken off in a big way. In 32 games during that stretch, he’s posted a .328/.427/.523 line with a 155 wRC+, while walking at a 13.3% clip and striking out at the exact same 13.3% rate.
Six of his 10 home runs have come in that span, all while playing as one of the younger players in the Triple-A International League. He won’t turn 22 until December.
That kind of production fits the reputation Clark has built since the day he was drafted. The left-handed hitter has produced above-average offense at every stop in his pro career, even while facing older competition.
Scouts see a player with a plus-plus running tool, a plus hit tool and at least average power. His speed gives him center-field range, and evaluators also believe his arm could fit in right field if needed.
Baseball America’s report compares his bat-to-ball ability and strike-zone judgment to fellow Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle, and notes that Clark has plenty of exit velocity even if he doesn’t always tap into all of his raw power in games because of a ground-ball tendency, especially against lefties.
Detroit’s need in center field makes the fit obvious. Parker Meadows has been out for most of the season, and the Tigers have patched things together with Javier Báez, Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling and James Outman.
Vierling left yesterday’s loss to the Orioles with a possible groin injury, which could send him to the injured list. Outman has also struggled badly since arriving on waivers, batting .167/.219/.322 with a 42% strikeout rate.
The club may have another path to a roster opening, too. Detroit’s 7-0 lead vanished in an extra-inning loss to Baltimore, dropping the Tigers to 51-58.
They’ve been better since a brutal 6-22 stretch in May, but they’re still six games out in the AL Central and 4.5 back in the Wild Card race. A 3-4 run against Kansas City and Baltimore - two injured teams below .500 - left them with a missed chance.
That backdrop has only made a deadline sell-off look more likely. If the Tigers decide to move veterans, a trade during today’s off-day could create the opening Clark needs. Tarik Skubal is the biggest name to watch, but Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Spencer Torkelson and Drew Anderson are also among the veterans who could be available if Detroit goes that route.
Even with the promotion, Clark won’t be able to log a full season of major league service this year. There are only 58 days left on the regular-season schedule, so he can’t reach a full year organically, and the timing means Detroit won’t get draft-related compensation through MLB’s prospect promotion incentives or push him close to Super Two status.
If this ends up being a short stay, he could keep rookie eligibility for next season. But with a prospect this polished, the Tigers are clearly hoping this is the first of only one call-up.
In Other News...
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Tarik Skubals name keeps surfacing in the run-up to Mondays trade deadline, and for Detroit that alone makes every start feel heavier than the last. The left-hander has drawn interest from contenders, with the Dodgers among the clubs watching closely as they weigh pitching depth and the uncertainty around Shohei Ohtanis ability to take the ball.
The deadline pressure is not just about the Tigers, either. Philadelphia is dealing with its own internal tension as it looks for roster upgrades, and that kind of urgency can spill into all sorts of conversations across the market. For Detroit, the bigger question is whether the noise around Skubal turns into something concrete before the deadline clock runs out. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Suddenly Hold The Deadline Decision Fans Have Waited On
Tarik Skubals latest turn in the rotation was a reminder that the Tigers are still living in the middle of a deadline decision, not the aftermath of one. Detroit has a real fork in the road with the trade deadline approaching, weighing whether to add help for a postseason push or listen on valuable arms that could reshape the roster in a hurry.
Skubal is far from the only name in the conversation, either, with Casey Mize, Kenley Jansen and Jack Flaherty all part of the same larger question about what direction the Tigers want to take. For now, the fact that Skubal is still taking the ball suggests the front office has not made its final call, and that uncertainty alone is enough to keep the rest of the league watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Urged To Pay A Massive Price For Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal keeps surfacing as the kind of deadline name that can alter a contenders entire summer, and Milwaukee has been floated as a club that should be aggressive if Detroit decides to listen. The appeal is obvious from the Brewers side: a front-line starter would instantly deepen a rotation that has been viewed as the teams biggest October question, and Skubal would give them the sort of impact arm that changes how a postseason series is managed.
For Detroit, any serious conversation would have to start with real talent coming back, which is why the prospect side of the equation matters so much. The Tigers are not in a position to move a pitcher of Skubals caliber lightly, and even if they entertain offers before the deadline, they would still have to weigh whether another club can beat the best package on the table or whether keeping him remains the smarter play. [Read more 🡒]