Scout considers Will Clark a "Top Five Major League Player" in 1990

Will Clark was without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever don a maroon and white jersey. A two-time All-American and 1985 Golden Spikes Award winner, Clark helped guide MSU baseball in its greatest era, the 1980s. In that time, Clark, along with fellow Bulldog great Rafael Palmeiro, led State to their highest finish ever, a 3rd place finish in 1985.

Clark's success at MSU also landed him as the highest ever draft choice from MSU: a #2 selection by the San Francisco Giants in the June 1985 draft. After being selected by the Giants, Will "The Thrill" didn't take long to make his mark, drawing his first start in the major league the very next season, and even homering off of Nolan Ryan in his first at-bat. It would also take Clark just a few seasons to make his place at the top of MLB's best players, as his name was at or near the top in HRs and RBIs in the 1988, '89, and '90 seasons.

In 1990, one Philadelphia Phillies scout, Eddie Bockman, even went so far as to say that Clark was "one of the top 5 major league players." That's a big honor for a time that included greats such as Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith, and countless others. Here's said scouting report from that 1990 season:

Bockman would provide a little more specific thought on Clark's game in a scouting report the next season, that also featured a breakdown on Giants 3B Matt Williams:

You can find more scouting reports on Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley, Bobby Thigpen, and tons of other former major leaguers at the Diamond Mine search homepage. Really, really neat stuff in there. There's even an old scouting report that features Palmeiro and noted baseball enthusiast Greg Maddux's names in the same report.

Enjoy.

images via Diamond Mines

h/t Baseball Continuum