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See the full story · 1 sourcesAhead of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, the Detroit Tigers are calling up one of the MLB's top prospects.
The Tigers announced on Thursday, July 30, that they are selecting the contract of 21-year-old prospect Max Clark . Clark is the team's No. 1-ranked prospect and the No. 13 MLB prospect (per MLB Pipeline) .
Clark is expected to make his MLB debut this weekend, which could come as early as Friday, July 31, when the Tigers take on the Oakland Athletics in Sacramento, California. In Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens, Clark has posted a .276 batting average with 11 home runs, 20 doubles, 42 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 362 at-bats in 90 games.
He was selected third overall by the Tigers in the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school, in the same class as fellow rookie Kevin McGonigle. Before embarking on his professional career, Clark was a star high school player.
Here's what you need to know about Clark's prep career:
Where did Max Clark go to high school?
Clark was the No. 3 overall pick — one pick ahead of former Florida and current Texas Ranger star Wyatt Langford — in the 2023 draft for a reason. He was named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year in 2023.
He attended Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Indiana, which is 25 miles South of Indianapolis, where he was named the Indiana Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
As a senior, Clark finished with a .646 batting average with six home runs, 33 RBIs, and 45 runs scored, living up to the preseason draft hype he had garnered. As a junior, he hit .577 with nine home runs, 32 RBIs, 31 walks and 22 stolen bases. He hit .450 with six home runs, thirty RBIs and 31 stolen bases in his sophomore season, also pitching to a 0.84 ERA and 120 strikeouts over fifty innings.
Clark could have had more high school success, but his freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahead of his senior year, Clark played for Team USA in the 2021 WBSC U-18 World Cup, posting a .294 batting average over eight games to help the U.S. earn a gold medal.
While he was committed to Vanderbilt for college baseball, he ended up signing with the Tigers for $7.7 million on July 17, 2023.
Following the selection of Clark, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris praised Clark's abilities on the baseball field.
"He was the best player on our board at that pick, and we are thrilled that he got to our pick," Harris said. "We think Max is a five-tool player. I think that label gets thrown around way too much in our industry. We think Max has all five."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where did Max Clark go to high school? What to know about Detroit Tigers' top prospect
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