Watch Kody Clemens hit his first home run of the spring

Detroit Tigers prospect second baseman Kody Clemens hit his first home run of the spring on Tuesday in a losing effort against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. His opposite field solo shot off of Sean Poppen’s first offering to straight-away left field soared over the fence and onto the berm at CenturyLink Sports Complex for the Tigers’ lone run of the game.

Clemens, the No. 13-ranked prospect according to our rankings, comes into his second full season as a professional with solid grades on the offensive side of the ball, but also carries some concerns over his ability to field the keystone position. His hit tool grades out around par, though his swing is a bit long to hit for a high batting average, while his mid-ranged power projection could favor his hitting profile.

If he can improve his bat speed, between the two tools Clemens should have enough in his repertoire to grow into a solid-hitting player; however, if his glove cannot stick on the dirt things may get a bit more difficult making it to the big leagues in the outfield.

So far this spring, Clemens has gone 5-for-12 at the plate for a .417 batting average over 12 at-bats, including the aforementioned home run, three RBI, a walk, and just one strikeout. It is obviously way too early to read into his numbers, but given the dearth of positional player talent in the Tigers system, a breakout from Clemens would be a much-welcomed event in Detroit.