Max Clark’s rookie season has already included plenty of firsts.

Wednesday night added something different.

Something historical.

Clark collected three doubles during the Detroit Tigers’ wild 11-6, 12-inning victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, becoming the first Tigers player to record three doubles in a single game since Miguel Cabrera accomplished the feat in 2018. Clark finished 3-for-4 with three doubles, three runs scored, two walks and an RBI.

That is a pretty productive night for a 21-year-old still figuring out Major League pitching.

Clark Was Everywhere Against Minnesota

Detroit desperately needed an offensive response after being outscored 26-3 over the first two games of the series.

Clark helped provide it.

He reached base five times in six plate appearances, collecting three doubles while drawing two walks and avoiding a strikeout.

The complete line:

3-for-4
3 doubles
3 runs
1 RBI
2 walks

His third double was also the biggest.

With the score tied 5-5 in the top of the 11th inning, Clark drove home Ben Malgeri with a double to left field, temporarily putting Detroit ahead 6-5. MLB’s official game highlights show Clark delivering the go-ahead extra-base hit in the 11th.

Minnesota answered in the bottom half.

Detroit eventually answered louder.

Spencer Torkelson’s two-run homer started a five-run 12th inning, while Javier Báez finished the outburst with a bases-clearing double.

The Tigers finally walked away with an 11-6 victory.

From Cabrera to Clark

Anytime a Tigers player finds his name next to Miguel Cabrera’s, people are going to notice.

They should.

Cabrera spent more than a decade rewriting Detroit’s offensive record book, eventually finishing his career with 3,174 hits, 511 home runs and a place in Cooperstown waiting for him.

Clark is obviously nowhere near that conversation.

He has been in the Major Leagues for barely a month.

That is exactly why the comparison is interesting.

Clark was still adjusting to Major League pitching entering Wednesday and had been batting just .179 over his previous 10 games. One night does not erase the normal growing pains of a rookie season.

But it does provide another glimpse of what Detroit believes is coming.

Clark had already shown his ability to impact games with his speed, defense and plate discipline. He recently revealed the unusual communication system Detroit’s outfielders use to avoid collisions, another example of how quickly he has become comfortable handling center field at the Major League level.

Wednesday was about the bat.

And for one night, it looked awfully dangerous.

Clark’s Rookie Season Continues to Evolve

Clark’s arrival has never been about expecting immediate perfection.

Detroit drafted him third overall in 2023 because of the complete package: athleticism, strike-zone awareness, speed, defensive ability and the potential for his offensive game to continue developing.

There have already been flashes.

He spoke openly about what reaching Comerica Park meant to him before making his home debut, and his first month in Detroit has included home runs, triples, highlight-reel speed and plenty of learning moments.

Wednesday added another piece.

Three doubles.

Three runs.

Five times on base.

And a line in the franchise record book previously occupied by Miguel Cabrera.

That does not mean Max Clark is the next Miguel Cabrera.

It means the Tigers’ 21-year-old rookie just did something no Detroit hitter had managed in eight years.

For a franchise trying to determine what its next core will look like, that is plenty interesting on its own.