Brent Clevlen

Major leagues

Clevlen was a 2nd-round pick by the Detroit Tigers in the 2002 first-year player draft. He made his major league debut on July 30, 2006, in a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins. He started center field in his first game. His first catch in the field was intended to be a sacrifice fly by Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer, but ended up being an inning-ending double play, as Clevlen threw out Luis Castillo at home plate. In his first MLB at bat, he doubled off Twins ace Johan Santana.

On August 1, 2006, in his second major league game, Clevlen hit his first major league home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 5th inning off pitcher Travis Harper. He later added another home run in the 9th inning off pitcher Ruddy Lugo going 3-for-5 for the night, with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Clevlen was optioned down to the Tiger's AAA-affiliate Toledo Mudhens later in the 2006 season as Alexis Gómez emerged as a valuable bench player. Tigers manager Jim Leyland has stated that Clevlen would benefit from playing everyday in Toledo, and remains second in the team's depth chart for center field. Following the season, Clevlen was named the third-best prospect and rated as possessing the best outfield arm in the Tigers organization by Baseball America.

In 2007, Brent was called up when the Detroit Tigers expanded their rosters.

In 2008, Clevlen was called up in place of injured Clete Thomas, but returned to Toledo when Thomas was activated.

03/03/09 8:00 PM EST
Clevlen getting great opportunity
Tigers outfielder making more contact at the plate

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brent Clevlen has spent the last few Spring Trainings trying to prove to the Tigers that he can make consistent contact at the plate. Regarding the contact part, he finally feels he has something going, and the early results back him up. Whether he's showing the Tigers or other clubs is more of the question now.

With the Tigers' entire starting outfield off to the World Baseball Classic, Clevlen is one of the outfielders who stand to benefit with a heavy dose of at-bats. Considering he's out of Minor League options, the timing couldn't be much better for him.

"I'm going out there trying to do my best," Clevlen said. "If I don't make it with this team, maybe another team will see something. I'm taking advantage of the chance to go out there and get some regular at-bats."

So far, he hasn't wasted many of them. Maybe just as important, he hasn't ended any of them with a strikeout.

Clevlen's two hits, including a double, and three RBIs not only provided the bulk of the Tigers' power in Tuesday's 7-5 win over Venezuela, they added some momentum to his stats. On the heels of Sunday's two-run triple against the Pirates, Tuesday's two hits improved Clevlen to 3-for-11 with three runs scored and five RBIs so far this camp.

"He's been having a pretty good spring so far," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said.

Clevlen has yet to strike out this Spring Training. It's a small dose of at-bats to consider, but it's a better rate than he's had in his career.

Clevlen's 166 strikeouts in 476 at-bats last year at Triple-A Toledo raised his career total to 835 strikeouts in 2,813 professional at-bats. He has fanned at least 111 times in each of his six full professional seasons. The strikeouts have been an annual topic for coaches and instructors.

Then Clevlen spent part of his offseason with Escogido in the Dominican League. Though he changed a few things about his approach, he said, the one dramatic difference was his mind-set.

"I had a plan before I went down [of] what I wanted to do," Clevlen said. "I didn't care if I grounded out every time. I didn't care if my average wasn't there or whatever. I would go down there and put the ball in play."

He hit .260 (13-for-50) in 18 games for the Leones with just two extra-base hits -- both doubles. Yet his 13 strikeouts marked a drop in his rate, and his eight walks left him with a .373 on-base percentage.

If he hit a grounder, he would run it out and hope for an error. The importance at this point in his career was to hit it. With 22 home runs, 23 doubles and seven triples at Toledo last year, the ball tends to go somewhere good when he does.

"It's a matter of time," Clevlen said. "The more at-bats I get, the older I get, the more I started to realize and understand what I need to do to put the bat on the ball more. It seemed like it really came to me this offseason. Coming into the spring, really, things seemed to start clicking a little more for me."

Age and maturity seemingly have affected his outlook on Spring Training, too. Rather than fretting his situation, he's embracing it. As tough of a decision as the Tigers could face if he continues to hit during camp -- and the Tigers acknowledge that -- the circumstances seem to have freed up Clevlen to relax.

The tough decision, after all, is on the Tigers -- not him.

"I'm more calm than in other springs. I'm actually enjoying it," Clevlen said. "I know I can go out and play -- it's just believing in yourself. It's a fun time. You never know what can happen. I'm actually really excited about this spring. I'm glad it's already started.

"I just had this good feeling coming into the spring. I feel like myself, just positive on everything, whatever happens."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

• Brent Clevlen (RF)
  
• Dec 19 2009, 12:37 pm ET
  
• Bio | Brent Clevlen News Archive
  

On Friday, the Braves signed outfielder Brent Clevlen, left-hander Mariano Gomez, catcher Orlando Mercado and infielder Joe Thurston to Minor League contracts with invites to Spring Training. The team also invited non-roster catcher J.C. Boscan to Spring Training.

Clevlen, who spent his previous eight seasons in the Tigers organization, hit .265 with 16 homers in 128 games with Triple-A Toledo this past summer.