When is Max Clark joining Tigers? Not yet, president Scott Harris says

Atlanta — Not yet.

That was essentially the answer Tigers’ president Scott Harris gave to Brian Kenny on MLB Network on Tuesday afternoon asked when prospect Max Clark might get his call to the big leagues.

“We’re not ready to bring him up right now,” Harris said. “He’s a really important part of our future. We took him first in my first draft, and then we took Kevin (McGonigle) right behind him, and those remain two really important pieces for us moving forward.

“I think with Max, it’s fun to see him off to a really good start in Triple A.”

Tigers prospect Max Clark is hitting .305 at Triple-A Toledo entering Tuesday.

Clark, despite hitting a 3-for-36 skid, is still hitting .305 with the Mud Hens.

Harris gave a detailed explanation of where Clark is developmentally and where the Tigers’ see him going.

“Max’s ceiling is one that can put pressure on the opposing team in all phases of the game,” Harris said. “He’s certainly performing well offensively — that’s a really big part. I think he’s going to hit for more power as he gets more comfortable with his swing and his strike‑zone decision‑making

“We also want to see him continue to develop the other areas of his game.”

More: Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo cleared for active duty at Double-A Erie

Namely, playing center field.  Harris believes he can be an elite defender but he’s not there yet.

“We’re really focused on his jumps, his reads, and getting off the ball quickly in center field,” Harris told Kenny.

Base running is another area of focus for Clark.

“We think he can put a lot of pressure on the opposing team on the bases,” Harris said. “He’s stolen a lot of bases so far in Triple‑A (8 for 8). We think there’s more he can get there, and we’re trying to stay focused on his leads, his fundamentals, and his ability to read different types of pitchers and get a good jump.