Why Tigers Fans Should Stay Patient With Max Clark After Left Field Struggles
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The Detroit Tigers may not have gotten off to the start that they had hoped this spring training, but there are still reasons not to panic. These games are for the cobwebs to come off the established major leaguers and to get a look at the younger players' development.
The two top prospects generating the most attention for the Tigers this spring are shortstop Kevin McGonigle and outfielder Max Clark, both of whom rank highly in Detroit's prospect lists. McGonigle has been performing well with the bat this spring, and Clark has also shown promise at the plate.
However, Clark's fielding has emerged as a significant concern. On Tuesday, getting the start in left field, Clark made two errors in the first inning. The first was him simply overrunning a very catchable fly ball, and the second was a deeper hit and a play that a major league outfielder would have made.
How Clark Responded to the Errors
MLB.com's Jason Beck spoke with Clark after Tuesday's game, and his response was very mature for a young player looking to showcase why he was drafted third overall not too long ago.
“It was 100 percent sun. But it doesn't matter. You gotta catch the ball. It's in the job description. Just gotta find a way," Clark said. "I attempted to 'catch the sun,' just didn't catch it. But I've caught 100,000 sun balls in my life. Just gotta figure out how to catch it.”
There is still a positive outlook for Clark's game for Tigers fans to hold optimism. For instance, in spring training games so far, Clark is hitting .286 with one RBI. His speed has been on display as well, something Detroit needs more of in the future after looking at their stolen base numbers in 2025.
Detroit News' Chris McCosky reported on Wednesday that two new Tigers pitchers, Framber Valdez and Kenley Jansen, got work in a live batting practice session, which featured Clark. Clark took on Jansen, ripping a single off the multi-time All-Star.
Jansen called Clark back into the batter's box for one more at-bat after his pitching session was done, and struck out the rookie on three pitches. It's nice to see a veteran and a rookie go at it in competition, but the upside Clark possesses is more than his errors and batting practice strikeouts.
In this game, if you hold onto what you did wrong for more than a day, you won't be able to succeed. Clark knows this, and he knows he has to be better in the field and consistent at the plate. But all in all, Tigers fans shouldn't hit the panic button yet based on two errors caused by Mother Nature that he owned up to needing to work on.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.