Playing to the Max: No. 3 Draft pick confident in self, game

This story was originally published on July 7. We have updated it to reflect Max Clark being drafted No. 3 overall by the Tigers.

This isn’t the game many grew up with. Traditionalists might think it too much, younger generations might think it’s exactly what baseball needs, the flair, the emotions, the celebrations. And all of it spread on social media platforms that can make very young people internet famous in a hurry.

Whether you like this new world or not, Max Clark seems to be entering it at exactly the right time.

The high school outfielder from Franklin, Indiana heard his name called with the No. 3 pick on Day 1 of the Draft on Sunday and there was a time, not long ago, when a high school player, even a top-five pick, would be a virtual unknown. Those days are over and baseball fans likely have seen Clark celebrating a home run for Team USA passionately with his dramatic eye black and his long, flowing blond hair.

“It’s gone,” Clark protested. “The hair is so short now. Are you kidding me?”

Hair length aside, Clark is a presence, engaging in person, and ever-growing online. He might be from an Indiana town outside of Indianapolis with about 25,000 citizens, but his Instagram following of 335,000 is closer to the population of a city like Cleveland. That’s only added to spotlight on Clark and while he’s only 18 years old, there’s an understanding of how things can be perceived that cuts through the persona.

“I think they're probably entitled to their opinion,” Clark said about those who might be critical about what they might call his on-field theatrics. “But I've always been told you can't make everybody happy, so always do what makes you happy. And you know, playing 110 percent, playing with a smile, playing with flair, that's what makes me happy. Because I love the game, this game has given me so much.

“But it can also take that away in an instant. So why not go out there giving your last effort, like it's your last game. And that's kind of what I stuck with. I play harder than anybody I play with more fun than anybody. And if people think it's too much, then I guess they're going to have to get somebody that only plays with 100 percent effort. It's always subject to opinion and conversation, and that's OK. But I think when people realize that it's just an 18-year-old kid playing his behind off, because he loves the game, and it's a fun game, it makes a lot more sense to them.”

Clark doesn’t lack confidence in who he is as a person, or as a player. And if the scouting industry is to be believed, he has good reason. The term five-tool player might get tossed around too much, but this year’s Draft class has a few of them at the top of the Draft. Four of the top five players are outfielders and the college duo (Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford) and the two prepsters (Clark and Walker Jenkins) all possess all five tools. But it’s Clark who might have the best all-around toolset and when you add up their scouting grades for all five tools, he’s the one who leads the quintet.

"It's unbelievable and it's truly a blessing,” Clark said. “You look at generational talents, Skenes on the mound, Crews with the bat, the power that Langford has, the power that Jenkins has is ridiculous. So it's really cool to be a part of this group. I think that us five will continue to kind of show everybody that we're going to continue to separate.”

He’ll likely continue to ruffle some feathers along the way, but plans to do anything but use his large personality, and social media reach, for anything but good seems like a foreign idea to him. He believes there’s a book vs. cover lesson to be learned here. Far from apologetic, Clark wants people to know he’s more than meets the eye.

“There are so many things under the hood,” Clark said. “Big personality, and that translates to off the field as well. I've always been a giver. Being raised by my mother who was a school teacher, she was always one giving back to our community. So I've always been stuck in that same loop and I've been blessed to be stuck in that same loop. That’s who I really am. And when I play, it’s kind of playing for [my] community as well as myself.

“I’ve had a fair share of question-raisers that may not understand,” Clark said about his focus on growing his social media influence. “They’re just asking what the significance is, which is totally fair. It’s a new age. The example I always give them is the amount of 13, 14, 15 year old young baseball players who need guidance, or a role model or inspiration, is growing each and every day. And having an outlet with half a million, three quarters of a million followers across social media platforms, is a huge platform to go out and help those kids.”

Not everyone is going to like it and Clark seems OK with that, comfortable in his own skin. But he’s ready to take the show to the next level to prove that it’s not an act, it’s who he is. The confidence spilling over to cockiness, the heart on his sleeve style? Clark maintains that what you see is what you’re going to get.

"I've played with a lot of really, really good players in my time,” Clark said. “And that's not going to stop. And the best players are always playing the hardest. And that's what I do. I play harder than everybody.”