Detroit Tigers could have taken easy route but made bold move in first round of MLB draft

Well, no one saw that one coming.

The Detroit Tigers pulled a stunner on Sunday night, picking taking Franklin (Indiana) Community High School outfielder Max Clark with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft.

More significantly, they passed on Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford, who most considered a top-three talent.

And whether you love the pick or hate it — and let’s be honest, when it comes to the MLB draft, we won’t know how this will work out for years — this says so much about this new Tigers front office: president of baseball operations Scott Harris, assistant GM Rob Metzler and amateur scouting director Mark Conner.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Detroit Tigers' newest top 5 MLB draft pick is about to join an exclusive club

LOOKING BACK: Meet the best pick at each of the Detroit Tigers' 21 MLB draft slots this year

This says: We are willing to trust what we think and see, trust our evaluators and reports, and not follow the crowd.

This says: We are not afraid to go out on a limb. If we love a player, we are going to go for it.

This says: We are gonna build this our way.

It would have been easy and far less risky for the Tigers to take Langford — it’s what most fans, media and draft experts expected.

Langford has a track record against college pitching.

Clark just left high school and was committed to Vanderbilt. He was named the 2022-23 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. Over three high school seasons, Clark slashed .551/.713/1.027 with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 21 home runs and 95 RBIs. He drew 113 walks in his high school career and only struck out 16 times.

But his stats are almost meaningless compared to college stats produced in the SEC.

So the Tigers drafted on feel. On evaluation. And on prognostication.

Now, there could be one other factor. Perhaps, Clark agreed to take a little less money, which would give the Tigers more money to use with later picks.

Maybe.

But even if they did that, this still has to work out. You don't waste a No. 3 pick just to save money.

LATER ON: Tigers select high school shortstop Kevin McGonigle with No. 37 pick in 2023 MLB draft

The Tigers were faced with an age-old question: Do you take a college hitter with a proven track record against college pitchers or do you take a high school player who has all the potential in the world?

“In some ways, the college players are more thoroughly vetted,” Harris said last week on Bally Sports Detroit. “You know, the hitters have faced better pitching, the pitchers have faced better hitters. The demand of the position at the college level is just higher than high school. However, you know, by the time they're in college, the player population has picked over a little bit. Some of the most talented high school players have already been drafted to professional organization. So it's a balance that we try to strike.”

By making this pick, the Tigers have put their full faith in Clark. They are saying: We believe you are going to be great.

“We also try to look at things that transcend the level of competition like how a player moves, and you know what the players bat path looks like," Harris said last week. "We look at a million different things, but those are some of the ones that are more compelling."

Clark has all the tools in the world.

He's got a strong arm, is a fast runner, is considered a tremendous left-handed hitter and someone who is expected to develop even more power.

But he’s also been lauded for his mental makeup and ability to perform in the clutch. He had some huge hits in the 18-and-under World Cup.

“We want to evaluate every aspect of the player's game but we also want to get to know the player as well as we possibly can before we select them,” Harris said. “Make no mistake, every single player we take in the draft ... he's going to face adversity in the minor leagues. They all do. And so we want to know, how are they going to respond to that adversity? Are they going to face that adversity head on and become even more determined? Is that adversity going to enhance their development? Or is it going to shake them? Is it going to impede their development? We feel like those are questions that we need to answer to the best of our ability before we select a player and bring them into the organization.”

Clearly, Clark answered those questions.

Clearly, the Tigers love him.

This was bold and stunning.

Goodness, they'd better be right.

Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers bypass easy route, take Max Clark No. 3 in MLB draft