Max Clark, Detroit Tigers prospect, is making progress on the field and in tuning out critics

Toledo — Max Clark has a whole lot of fans. As it turns out, he has his fair share of skeptics, too. And Clark heard them loud and clear during spring training, when a slice of the social-media sphere — of which he is an active and willing participant — teed off on his defense, his offense, and, hell, even his blingy chains.

Clark, all of 21 and less than three years removed from being the No. 3 overall pick in the draft , did his best to tune out the outside noise and all those critics. Well, at least all of the critics except one in particular, the one who matters most: Himself.

And he's harsh. He may grade himself on a curveball, but he certainly doesn't grade himself on a curve, not when it comes to the struggles he experienced during his first extended stay in major-league spring training in Lakeland, Florida. "Performance-based, I give it an F on the A to F scale," Clark said the other day, during batting practice before a game with his new team (for now), the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.

"But in terms of learning and experience and understanding how the game is played at the highest level, I give it an A-plus. Trying to figure out ways to come out of that was tough, but we found ways, we talked to a lot of people. Obviously, Riley (Greene) and Tork (Spencer Torkelson) were great to talk to throughout hitting and defense and all of the above.