The 2022 crop of high school baseball outfielders is one that will be remembered for years to come, thanks to names such as Druw Jones and Elijah Green at the top of the list. Now the question is: Who’s the next elite outfield prospect? The answer is simple: Maxwell Clark, a Class of 2023 standout at Franklin Community High School in Indiana.
It’s easy to see why Clark has an upside as high as almost any outfield prospect in the 2023 class. He’s coming off an impressive junior season in which he slashed .577/.717/1.126 offensively with 9 home runs and 32 RBI. Posting a 1.844 OPS, Clark also made an impact on the basepaths, stealing 22 total bases across 25 games, as well as on the mound, where the southpaw recorded a 0.44 ERA with a 39:8 K:BB across 16 IP and held opponents to a .038 AVG against.
Over the last two seasons, Clark has posted a .510 batting average with 15 home runs and 62 RBI, as well as an 1.609 OPS with 53 stolen bases. On the mound, Clark’s numbers certainly don’t lack, either – he has recorded a combined 0.74 ERA across 66 IP with a 159:40 K:BB.
Playing with the Indiana Bulls on the travel baseball circuit, Clark has done nothing but reinforce those eye-popping numbers this summer. As you’d expect for a player with the pure talent and proven production of Clark, the Vanderbilt commit is widely considered not only the top high school outfielder in next year’s 2023 MLB Draft, but also the top prep prospect overall.
Similar to both Jones and Green a year ago, Clark simply has everything you would want in an elite high school outfield prospect, with plus tools that include hitting for both average and power, speed, and a strong arm defensively. Jones and Green showcased those elite-level tools at numerous times during the 2022 high school baseball season, and Clark is likely to do the same as well next spring.
Jones and Green both were top-five picks in the 2022 MLB Draft. Could Clark follow suit as the best outfield prospect in the high school class of 2023? He’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
