Tigers Fans May Need to Pump Brakes on Top Prospect Amid Triple-A Cold Streak
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The Detroit Tigers went into the regular season with hopes of competing for a championship, and while there have been flashes, it has yet to all come together to this early point in the season.
Numerous critical stars are starting to put it all together though, and there is optimism that Detroit is about to string together a winning streak. Beyond the Major League level though, fans have been paying close attention to the minor league ranks.
Following a tough spring training, it was a bit of a surprise to see 21-year-old top prospect center fielder Max Clark start the year in Triple-A, but Clark answered those questions with an absolutely dominant start to the year.
Clark was so good after 15 games with a .356/.437/.525 slash line that there were even calls from fans to bring him up to the big leagues especially after the Parker Meadows injury. The last week or so though, the youngster has come back down to earth and proved why the organization is going to take its time with him.
Clark Struggling in Toledo Over Last Week of Games
Perhaps it was inevitable, but Clark's bat is starting to come back down to earth a bit as he settles in at Triple-A as one of the youngest players in the International League. Now 3 for his last 24 headed into Tuesday, he has slashed just .111/.238/.167 over his last five games.
To be clear, this is not indicative of any sort of worry about Clark's long-term outlook, but it does reflect the fact that noise from the fanbase to call him up now may have been misguided.
Clark needs time to develop, and the Tigers are going to give it to him. While he still very well could make his debut this season, the last week shows why it will not and should not be until at least the summer in Detroit.
Tigers Can Receive Huge Boost from Clark Down Stretch This Year
If Detroit continues to be patient with the young outfielder who has shown flashes of some immense talent, there's no reason to think he cannot help the big league team at some point down the stretch of what is hopefully a pennant race.
Promoting him too soon and having to send him back down would likely end that chance though, and the Tigers would be wise to leave Clark down for a little too long rather than calling him up a little too soon.
How Clark works through this current slump may go a long way towards answering what that eventual debut timeline looks like.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.