DETROIT — As Max Clark continues his end-of-season crash course on life as a major leaguer, Tigers manager AJ Hinch has seen the outfielder make notable strides with his defense.
And some of the best stuff Clark has started to do from his center-field spot, Hinch said, doesn't necessarily result in an out.
"I think his development that has taken the biggest leap forward has got his attention in detail on defense," Hinch said before the finale against the Dodgers on Sunday, Aug. 30. "His his jumps, his commitment to selling out, to go make make plays, make plays that he's going to catch and make plays that are that are not necessarily recorded out, but they keep a guy going first to third, they keep a guy going home to second. Those, he's taken a really big step forward from spring training, of understanding the importance of the position on the non-output.
"That, I think, was — surprised is not the right word, but it's been a pleasant development."
As one of the Tigers' top prospects for a number of years now, fans had seen plenty of highlights of Clark's range and acrobatic, big-catch ability patrolling center field at lower levels. His bat is an exciting tool too, as is his speed.
In the month since his call-up to end July, Clark has flashed the promise his prospect ranking would indicate. He's hitting .250 with a pair of home runs and has 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored. He's started to impact the game running the bases more as he settles in.
And while the defense will continue to improve with rep after rep and more familiarity, Hinch hopes the next frontier for Clark can be honing his approach at the plate.
Not unexpectedly for a player early in his major-league tenure, Clark is trying to soak in as much information as possible and cover all his bases, Hinch said. That includes at the plate, where the young outfielder may be over-indexed on all the scouting reports and pitch analytics available to players.
For as naturally talented as Clark is, Hinch noted a key development to come for Clark will be the ability to quiet his mind, boil down the information into a few keys, and simplify his approach at the plate.
"He is so astute, so smart," Hinch said. "This guy studies, he almost knows everything about the situation, everything about the pitcher, that it can somewhat too much. And as he matures and grows and tries and understands game situations, letting his natural talent go over as opposed to his studious side of his game, I think the natural ability will flourish.
"He can impact the ball. He doesn't have to overthink. But as a young player, it doesn't surprise me that he's trying to cover all of his bases all the time. There is a see ball, hit ball component with him that I think will get better over time when he is more familiar."
Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers' AJ Hinch praises Max Clark's defense, outlines next steps as hitter
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