PUTTING IN THE WORK

Max Clark earns high marks for his tools. Those who know him best are just as impressed with his commitment and work ethic.

- RICHARD TORRES

HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Baseball has had its share of famous high school prospects. 

Alex Rodriguez. Bryce Harper. Ken Griffey Jr.

Those teenagers' names were known nationally to fans before they signed their first pro contracts.

Like that trio, Indiana high school outfielder Max Clark has a chance to be drafted first overall. And it seems like only a matter of time before the 18-year-old Franklin Community High product is a household name.

Clark already has as much social media clout as any prep baseball prospect. He has 600,000-plus ritualistically checking their smartphone notifications across a handful of social media platforms, where his brand thrives.

A simple Google search reveals that the hype for Clark is real.

From a Wikipedia page of his own to a YouTube clip of him putting "on a show for his last BP at Perfect Game!" in early June to the biggest of all questions: "Will Max Clark get drafted?"

Now, Clark adds one more Google search result: Baseball America High School Player of the Year.

"Yeah, he's a busy guy," Franklin Community baseball coach Ryan Feyerabend said. "And he handles it all like a pro, good or bad."

Lately, it has been far more good for Clark. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound lefthanded hitter completed a remarkable senior campaign that included a .646 batting average with 33 RBIS, 45 runs scored and six home runs with a state-record 52 walks in 120 plate appearances.

Clark, who is from Franklin, about 20 miles south of Indianapolis, finished his high school career with a .551 average in 216 at-bats. He hit 21 home runs while striking out just 16 times in three seasons. His 2020 freshman year was wiped out by the pandemic.