Q&A with Tigers' Clark: What does he need to do to earn a promotion to Double-A?

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We spend a lot of time breaking down prospects and their tools on the field. Occasionally, we¡¯re fortunate to get to know the person behind the player a bit more and get the opportunity to peek behind the curtain and see just what it¡¯s like to be a Minor Leaguer.

I¡¯m hoping this year to talk to more prospects and share those conversations with you, giving you a little bit more from their point of view. For this week¡¯s newsletter, here¡¯s a sampling of the first chat I conducted, with Tigers No. 2 prospect (MLB No. 5) Max Clark.

• Watch the FULL interview with Max Clark

I think people get the idea of adding strength or retooling your swing over the winter. But how do you work on improving the mental side of your game during the offseason?

Max: A lot of reading. My mom was a school teacher, so it was kind of like force fed growing up. You know, you've got to read this many books, you've got to read this to be able to hit, whatever it may be. I read The Inner Game of Tennis this year, which has been probably the best book I've ever read my entire life, and it's just eye-opening. It just talks about so many different aspects of being a being a professional athlete or an athlete at a high level and just trying to understand how the mind works in the game, and understanding the ups and downs of who you are as a person. And it was big. I needed it, and I'm just trying to carry that kind of mentality into 2025 and for the rest of my career as well.

What¡¯s your walk-up song?

Max: Right now, I¡¯m doing ¡°Loving on Me¡± by Jack Harlow. It has a Detroit reference, so I just threw that in there, a little sprinkle of some hometown. So I'm loving it. It¡¯s so groovy. It's a vibe, and I'm loving it at the moment ¡­ I¡¯m kind of a change guy, I¡¯m not superstitious ¡­ I¡¯m a little stitious. If I go 0-for-10, 0-for-12, I have to change the walkup song. It hasn¡¯t happened yet, knock on wood, so we¡¯re sticking with it.

What¡¯s your favorite pregame meal?

Max: Ooh, probably Chipotle or Moe¡¯s. I love adobo chicken. It¡¯s the easiest way to get it in protein-wise and nothing beats it. Also, the two times we had Chipotle this year, we¡¯ve won. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a streak, but it¡¯s a streak.

Excluding your home parks, what¡¯s your favorite stadium you¡¯ve visited?

Max: I would say from the Minor Leagues. I really liked Fort Wayne. That's the Padres¡¯ High-A [affiliate], the TinCaps. They were awesome. Also, it's in Indiana. So a lot of family, a lot of friends, fianc¨¦ was there. It was great. And then in the big leagues, I would say, Rangers, Arlington. It was insane. I was there for the Futures Game. That's the best stadium I've ever played in my life. Obviously it's new, but the lighting there is unbelievable. Makes the baseball look like a beach ball, even when the dudes are elite. The lighting in there is perfect. People need to take notes on that.

Name three things you need to do to earn a promotion to Double-A?

Max: This this is a Scott Harris-ism. He'll love this if he gets a hold of it.

Dominate the strike zone. K less, walk more. That's the heart of our organization, on both the pitching and hitting side.

Continue to play elite defense. If you can play defense, you're going to play longer than anybody else who can't. And I live by that. Defense is fun and it's just effort-based. It's really easy to go out there and just dominate on the defensive side of the ball.

Consistency. Finding ways to make the slumps less slumps and the hot streaks hotter. Your hitting is going to [ebb and flow] for the rest of my career, for the rest of everyone's career, but the quicker that you can get out of slumps, and the longer that you can stay hot, the longer you get to play.