The Making of Big Game James
Out of St. John Bosco High School, James Clark has climbed the ranks and is projected to be a potential late first round pick in the MLB Draft.
In the span of just one summer, the MLB has seen a potential young star shortstop shoot up the draft boards. James Clark from Santa Ana, California has turned a lot of heads after a very strong summer showcase circuit. He has jumped 28 spots in the span of one ranking update and performed exceptionally well at the MLB Draft Combine.
The left handed batting shortstop enjoyed a high school career at St. John Bosco where he averaged .364 behind the plate, with five homers and 41 RBI. On the defensive end, he shined with a .930 fielding percentage.
As a program under head coach Andy Rojo, St. John Bosco saw themselves win back-to-back Trinity League and CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships. Clark was a big factor in their success as he was named the Trinity League MVP.
At just the age of 18 years old, Clark credits his parents for where he is today. Miles III and Cheri Clark paved the way for their twin sons to chase their dreams. Clark’s father thanks his wife for his kids success. Cheri is a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan and the reason why her kids fell in love with the sport.
Growing up in the Clark household, education was very important. James would go on to being a 4.1 GPA student. His teacher at St. John Bosco described the shortstop as a “very humble and very hard working” person on and off the diamond.
His impressive work in the classroom allowed him to initially commit to Princeton University but after reopening his commitment, the Clark twins have switched over to the Duke Blue Devils.
When looking at the major league level, Clark has looked up to Francisco Lindor because of the confidence and smoothens he plays with. Head coach Rojo likes to call Clark “Big Game James” as he has shown to be a fierce competitor and a silent killer at the plate. He has also being receiving praise from MLB analysts and former players like Harold Reynolds who described Clark as “one of the most exciting shortstops in the country”.
Next up for Clark is now the MLB Draft which is on July 11th. The young shortstop will hope to hear his name called and then have to make a big decision, sign with the MLB team after becoming a high draft pick or commit to ACC baseball for the Blue Devils.