WEST SACRAMENTO -- Max Clark’s chest was tight and his feet felt heavy as he dug into the reddish-brown dirt of the batter’s box at Sutter Health Park for his first Major League plate appearance.
But for the Tigers’ top prospect, those nerves didn’t last long.
“As soon as that first pitch went by, I was locked in,” Clark said.
That much was clear.
Clark, MLB Pipeline’s No. 13 overall prospect, lived up to the hype and then some in an electric Major League debut as the Tigers beat the Athletics, 13-1, in Friday’s road series opener.
Starting in center field and batting seventh in his first big league game, Clark -- called up from Triple-A Toledo -- went 3-for-4 with a walk. He scored two runs and hit a pair of doubles, including a key RBI knock as the Tigers broke the game open in a seven-run eighth inning.
“He was very prepared,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Our belief in him is obviously very strong, and he showed tonight why.”
The Tigers wasted no time after outfielder Matt Vierling went down with a left adductor strain in Wednesday’s 12-inning loss to the Orioles, sending word to Toledo to call up Clark. But when Mud Hens manager Jones entered the clubhouse after a 9-7 loss to Columbus on Wednesday with what looked like “a face of rage,” Clark braced himself for the worst.
“I was like, ‘Oh, wow, we’re about to get torched,’” Clark recalled.
Instead, Jones had good news: Clark and left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus were headed to the Major Leagues. Clark hopped a flight to Sacramento, and so did 12 of his family members. They were all in the stands at Sutter Health Park as Clark made a big league debut years in the making, and he could just make out his wife Kayli’s scream of support as he stepped into the box for the first time.
“Everybody made it,” Clark said. “It was special. Everybody there put in some sort of time, some sort of effort, and they were able to just enjoy the moment.”
Save a funky play in the first inning, in which Clark fumbled a barehanded attempt to scoop up a ball in center after a failed dive by left fielder Riley Greene, it was a night of pure perfection for the talented 21-year-old.
Clark worked a walk against A’s left-hander Jeffrey Springs in his first plate appearance, then blooped a single into left field in the fourth inning for his first hit. After a groundout to second base in the sixth, he batted again with runners on the corners and nobody out in the eighth with the Tigers up 2-1.
Clark drove the first pitch he saw from lefty reliever Brady Basso to the base of the left-field wall, scoring Zach McKinstry from third and setting the tone in a big inning for Detroit to break the game open.
“That’s the exact scenario you dream about as a little kid: coming up, runners in scoring position, wanting to do something, close game,” Clark said. “Being able to execute and help the team win is huge.”
Could Clark be the perfect spark for a Tigers team caught between contention and capitulation? It might be too late to stop a Trade Deadline sell-off, as Detroit’s decision to scratch starter Casey Mize from Friday’s start at least hinted at behind-the-scenes plans. Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal has been the subject of never-ending trade rumors, and other key pieces could be next to go.
But ask Clark, and the third overall pick in the 2023 Draft firmly believes the 52-58 Tigers -- 3 1/2 games out of an American League Wild Card spot -- aren’t done yet.
“I’ve watched enough of this team to know,” Clark said. “It’s a good team. There’s a bunch of good leaders. We’re going to do whatever we can to win.”
Even in a bullpen game that saw four relievers cover multiple innings apiece, the Tigers emerged triumphant in a rout of the A’s to start the road series strong.
And right in the middle of it all was Clark, who played solid defense in center -- he got a strong jump to run down a sinking line drive in the third inning -- and capped his night with a second double in the ninth.
“There’s nothing he can’t do on the field,” Hinch said. “He’s going to impact the game a lot because of all the things that he’s learned. It was on display tonight.”