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EspañolMax Clark is expected to have a nice professional career in Major League Baseball, but the former Franklin High star is trending for the wrong reasons after Thursday's spring training game.
The 21-year-old Clark is the No. 10 prospect in the sport per MLB.com, and second for the Detroit Tigers. He was drafted third overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and could be on his way to make his MLB debut this season for a club expected to contend for an AL Central division title and more in the postseason.
But the spring got off to a bad start for Clark, who wore chains that sparkled in the Florida sun Thursday, and misplayed two fly balls — one ruled an error and the other a ground-rule double. The Detroit Free Press' Jeff Seidel put it like this: "The sun and wind played havoc on the Tigers – OK, mostly on left fielder Max Clark."
Broadcasters of the Atlanta Braves joked that the chains cost the amount of his nearly $7.7 million signing bonus, per Spotrac. But that won't faze the social media sensation who is rising up the prospect pipeline.
How does nobody pull Max Clark aside & tell him he looks ridiculous flexing 10 chains during a game bro hasn’t even made it to the league yet pic.twitter.com/QAR3HpVrYn
— Paul (@BabbleBronx) February 26, 2026
Clark has played well throughout his professional career and one sunny and windy afternoon shouldn't factor into his long-term future. After all, those spring afternoon across Central Indiana have produced some tough fly balls, too.
Baseball America named Clark a first-team minor-league All-Star pick for this 2025 season. He played at the High-A and Double-A levels for the Detroit Tigers organization, hitting .271 with 14 home runs and 67 runs batted in.
"Clark did a little bit of everything well this season as he climbed to Double-A as a 20-year-old and put himself in play for the Tigers’ big league roster next season," Baseball America noted. "He drew 94 walks — the fifth-highest total in the minors — against 90 strikeouts. Clark’s all-around ability could make him baseball’s next five-tool centerfield star."
He showcased his skills in the MLB Futures Game in July. He went 1-for-1 with a walk, stolen base and reportedly had a home-to-first sprint time of 4.03 seconds.
So, yes, Clark should be fine. And he did make a catch later in Thursday's game.
Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Detroit Tigers top prospect Max Clark necklace, stats, Franklin High School