Max Clark drops 2-word reaction to Tarik Skubal's stunning shutout game vs Guardians
Detroit Tigers top prospect Max Clark reacted to a stellar outing by the organization’s star pitcher, Tarik Skubal. The Tigers, coming off a series in which they lost three of four games, entered the finale on Sunday at Comerica Park facing a sweep.
The game ended in a dominant 5-0 victory for Detroit, largely thanks to Skubal’s outstanding performance. The 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner delivered a shutout, pitching all nine innings while allowing just two hits, no runs and no walks, and striking out 13 batters.
Reacting to Skubal’s masterpiece, Max Clark reposted an MLB Instagram post and captioned it:
“It’s beautiful.”
Cleveland Guardians starter Logan Allen took the mound against Skubal in Sunday’s game but struggled, giving up four earned runs on six hits, along with four walks, while striking out two. Despite their recent losses to the Guardians, the Tigers still lead the AL Central with a 34-20 record.
Coming back to Max Clark, even before making his MLB debut, he has already garnered 436K followers on Instagram. The 20-year-old was drafted by the Tigers in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft as the third overall pick.
Before signing with the Detroit Tigers, Clark was coming off a stellar senior year in high school, where he was named Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year after batting .646 with six home runs, 33 RBIs and 45 runs scored.
Max Clark gifts Tarik Skubal a gold chain with his initials
During spring training, Tarik Skubal mentioned on a podcast that he’d like to have a gold chain like the one Max Clark wears. Clark was quick to respond, gifting Skubal a custom chain just days later in the clubhouse.
While presenting the chain, Clark said (via MLB):
“Something light… You might be able to throw some K’s in that. But fitting for a Cy Young.”
Reacting to the thoughtful gesture, Skubal said:
“Yeah, it's heavy. It lays right on you. It lets you know it's there. I don't know how he plays with that, to be honest. That's his whole thing, his whole persona. But he's a really good kid, and I'm excited for him. I'm glad he feels comfortable enough to do something like that, too. I think that speaks about who we are as a team. We want guys to come up here and feel comfortable and go out there and play.”
So far in the 2025 season, Skubal has posted a 2.49 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP, with a 5-2 record across 11 starts.