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Detroit Tigers top prospect Max Clark had a very honest reaction after seeing a 102.4 mph fastball on the first pitch of the game.
Clark was the leadoff hitter for the Tigers in their 8-7 loss to the Pirates in their Spring Breakout game, facing top prospect Seth Hernandez. Hernandez’s first pitch was a 102.4 mph fastball over the zone, and it got Clark’s attention.
“What the f—,” Clark could be seen saying after the pitch passed him.
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Detroit Tigers outfielder Max Clark (31) warms up before a prospects game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida on March 20, 2026. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Clark, 21, ended up going into battle. Hernandez ended up inducing an inning-ending ground ball double play to end his only inning of the game.
The game between the Tigers and the Pirates was part of MLB’s Spring Breakout, an annual four-day event featuring exhibition games between the top prospects from all of MLB’s teams during spring training.
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Max Clark (31) of the Detroit Tigers looks on after hitting in the sixth inning during a game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida on March 20, 2026. (Julio Aguilar/MLB Images via Getty Images)
Clark is the No. 2 overall prospect in the Tigers farm system, according to MLB.com. Last season in High-A and Double-A, Clark hit .271 with 14 home runs and 67 RBI, and could make his big league debut this season, where he’ll see a lot of high-octane heat like Hernandez’s.
Hernandez, 19, was drafted No. 6 overall by the Pirates in last year’s draft. Hernandez already has a legitimate mix of four pitches and will begin his season in rookie ball.
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Seth Hernandez (25) of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during a game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida on March 20, 2026. (Julio Aguilar/MLB Images via Getty Images)
The Pirates organization hopes that Hernandez, along with top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler, will slot in behind National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes at the top of their rotation for years to come.
