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Detroit Tigers have four prospects on Baseball America's top-100 list, led by Max Clark
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- Detroit Tigers have four prospects on Baseball America's top-100 list, led by Max Clark
The Detroit Tigers have four prospects on Baseball America's preseason top 100 rankings , released Wednesday.
The four prospects on the list as the 2024 season approaches: outfielder Max Clark (No. 19), right-hander Jackson Jobe (No. 20), infielder Colt Keith (No. 28) and infielder Jace Jung (No. 81).
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The Tigers , led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, selected Clark with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Franklin Community High School in Indiana. Clark, a 19-year-old center fielder, hit .224 with two home runs, 21 walks and 25 strikeouts across 23 games last season in the lowest levels of the minor leagues.
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Tigers first-round draft pick Max Clark walks on the field before a game between Tigers and Padres at Comerica Park on Friday, July 21, 2023.
The top 10 prospects from Baseball America, in order: Jackson Holliday ( Baltimore Orioles ), Jackson Chourio ( Milwaukee Brewers ), Junior Caminero ( Tampa Bay Rays ), Evan Carter ( Texas Rangers ), Wyatt Langford ( Rangers ), Dylan Crews ( Washington Nationals ), Jordan Lawlar ( Arizona Diamondbacks ), Ethan Salas ( San Diego Padres ), Paul Skenes ( Pittsburgh Pirates ) and Samuel Basallo (Baltimore Orioles).
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The Rangers selected Langford — a college outfielder who finished last season at the Triple-A level — with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, one pick after the Tigers selected Clark out of high school at No. 3 overall.
On Clark, Baseball America reports: "Clark has been one of the best high school hitters at draft showcases for several years. He should be a plus defender in center field to go with an ability to hit for average and get on base. If his power also develops as hoped, he could be a star."
Jobe, the third-ranked pitcher behind Skenes (No. 9) and Andrew Painter (No. 12), didn't pitch until mid-June after suffering lumbar spine discomfort in spring training. The Tigers, under former general manager Al Avila, drafted him out of Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft .
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The 21-year-old recovered from the back injury and posted a 2.81 ERA with six walks and 84 strikeouts over 64 innings in 16 starts last season. He made one start in Double-A Erie before making four additional starts in the Arizona Fall League, where he logged 2.87 ERA with five walks and 19 strikeouts over 15⅔ innings.
On Jobe, Baseball American reports: "Jobe missed the first half of the 2023 season with a back injury, but once he returned, he was every bit as dominant as the Tigers had hoped for when they picked him third overall in 2021. Jobe has multiple ways to get hitters out, as well as some of the best pure stuff in the minors."
Keith, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Biloxi High School in Mississippi, is on the verge of making his MLB debut. He hit .306 with 27 home runs, 60 walks and 121 strikeouts across 126 games last season in Double-A Erie (59 games) and Triple-A Toledo (67 games).
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The 22-year-old projects as the Tigers' second baseman on the 2024 Opening Day roster .
On Keith, Baseball America reports: "The Tigers have done a better job in recent years of acquiring and developing well-rounded hitters like Keith. Keith is a .300 hitter for his minor league career, but his power is even more impressive. He hit 27 home runs last year and finished third in the minors with 68 extra-base hits."
Jung, 23, was selected No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft out of Texas Tech and played his first full season of professional baseball in 2023, hitting .265 with 28 home runs, 79 walks and 139 strikeouts across 128 games in High-A West Michigan (81 games) and Double-A Erie (47 games).
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He hit .284 and 14 homers with the SeaWolves.
The Tigers transitioned Jung from second base to third base to accommodate for Keith's presence at second base. Jung competed in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season, where he focused on developing as a third baseman but also hit .200 with one homer, 14 walks and 19 strikeouts across 15 games.
On Jung, Baseball America reports: "Like his older brother, Rangers third baseman Josh Jung , Jace is a very promising hitter. Few doubt that, but there are still a lot of questions about where he'll end up defensively. If he can just be a fringe-average defender, his bat will help the Tigers quickly."
Baseball America also listed two prospects from the Tigers — right-hander Ty Madden and outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy — among 15 players who just missed the top-100 rankings .
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Both players turn 24 years old in late February.
Madden registered a 3.43 ERA with 50 walks and 146 strikeouts across 118 innings in 26 games (25 starts) in Double-A Erie; Malloy hit .277 with 23 home runs, 110 walks and 152 strikeouts across 611 plate appearances in 135 games in Triple-A Toledo.
On Madden, Baseball America reports: "Madden answered questions he faced as a collegian by altering his fastball shape and finding quick success as a professional. The right-hander earns 60 grades on his fastball and slider and complements those pitches with a potentially average changeup and a fringy cutter into a mix that should give him a future in the Tigers' rotation. His debut could come as soon as the 2024 season."
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On Malloy, Baseball America reports: "The outfielder has an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone that helps get the most out of what projects to be above-average power. Malloy's game is centered around his offense but he could be a fringe-average defender in the outfield, where his 55-grade throwing arm would nestle in nicely in right field. He could make his big league debut in 2024."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers have four prospects on Baseball America's top-100 list
