Clark sparks late rally at High-A with first '25 homer

It wouldn't be Max Clark's first homer of the year without fireworks.

MLB's No. 5 prospect went the opposite way for his first long ball of the season Sunday at High-A West Michigan. With a full count, two outs and two runners on base in the eighth inning, the lefty drove a pitch on the outer half of the plate over the left-field wall to tie the game, 6-6.

The homer set up West Michigan for a 7-6 win over over Dayton in 10 innings at LMCU Ballpark. First baseman Andrew Jenkins scampered home on a wild pitch in the 10th inning for a walk-off win.

Clark, the Tigers' No. 2 prospect behind Major League pitcher Jackson Jobe, went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored on the afternoon. The center fielder also roped an RBI single in the fifth to cut the Whitecaps¡¯ deficit in half at the time.

Through the first weekend of the High-A season, Clark put his 60-grade hit tool to good use, posting a .400/.625/.700 slash line in 10 at-bats. Through three games, the 2023 No. 3 overall Draft selection tallied five RBIs and six walks.

In his first full season last year, Clark slashed .279/.372/.421 between Single-A Lakeland and West Michigan, totaling nine homers, six triples, 21 doubles and 29 stolen bases. He returned to the Whitecaps for the start of his third pro season.

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Clark got a taste of the Major League this spring. The 20-year-old played eight games with Detroit in the Grapefruit League, collecting three hits and three RBIs, while also headlining his organization's crop at Spring Breakout.

"They're not finished products," Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said during Spring Training, "and we want to make sure that they get a foundation for the start of the season. These kids are going to be playing the longest season of their lives. Little things that we can do during the spring to show them what's ahead and give them things that they can work on is a positive."