FRANKLIN, Ind. — A Franklin Community High School baseball star has been named the 2022-23 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year.
Max Clark, a senior centerfielder for the Grizzly Cubs, won the prestigious award for his achievements on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
Clark batted .646 this season with six home runs, 33 runs batted in and 45 runs scored. Besides an .808 on-base percentage and a 1.215 slugging percentage, he stole 35 bases and committed just two errors this season.
The 6-foot, 1-inch, 205-pound Clark is considered the nation’s top Major League Baseball draft prospect this year.
Clark, also a football standout, was president of his school's chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He volunteers as a youth baseball coach and on behalf of his church youth group.
Clark, who achieved a 3.97 GPA in the classroom, previously signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Vanderbilt University.
Previous winners include major leaguers Clayton Kershaw, Justin Upton, Zack Greinke, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield, who won the first award in 1986.
