Maikel Franco

The change of scenery from Philadelphia to Kansas City was a good thing for Franco. He did not light the world on fire with the Royals, but he was their fourth best position player by fWAR during the 2020 season. Franco maintained a strikeout rate right in line with his career mark of 15.3% while adding nearly 50 points back to his SLG. Franco had quite a bit of buzz when he first broke in with the Phillies and went on to have three 20-HR season with Philadelphia, but the on-base skills are lacking. The other skills are OK, but it's tough to compensate for a 6.8 BB% and be a quality starter at third base in the big leagues, and to this point the other skills have fallen short of making up that ground more often than not. At 28, Franco may be out of chances to show what he can do with everyday at-bats.

Franco has received quite a lot of playing time for a third baseman with a career 89 wRC+ and a poor defensive reputation. His .234/.297/.409 line last season (good for a 70 wRC+, the second time he's posted a mark below 80 in the last three years) may finally spell the end of his time as a starter. His 14.3% strikeout rate would be impressive for a player with the power Franco was supposed to have, but he didn't show that power in 2019, posting a below-average .175 ISO. Combine that with a .236 BABIP, his second BABIP below .240 in the last three seasons, and you get a poor batting line despite making plenty of contact. It's tempting to point to that BABIP as a sign of bad luck, but his awful 24.1% infield flyball rate, easily the worst in the league among players with at least 400 plate appearances, suggests he earned most of it. He'll be a reclamation project at best this season and may not play much.

Franco probably saved his Phillies career (and his future as a major-league starter) with a midseason hot streak. After opening the year hitting just .240/.284/.409 through his first 63 games, he hit .298/.342/.520 the rest of the way, finishing with a .270/.314/.467 line and 22 homers in 465 plate appearances. That level of performance isn't too surprising and could well be sustainable, as he flashed similar numbers in his rookie campaign back in 2015 before two straight disappointing years. A full season of similar production would look a whole lot like what Miguel Andujar did in 2018 and make Franco a solid mid-tier fantasy starter. Of course, he's never actually hit like that over a full season (he played in just 80 games in his rookie year), so he'll deservedly come at a much cheaper price due to legitimate fears that he could regress toward the player he was in the first part of 2018 and the two years prior.

It’s too early to give up on Franco, and we just have to hope the Phillies agree. Sure, his batting average has dropped 25 points each of the last two seasons and 20-something homers isn’t as impressive in today’s landscape, but underlying skills suggest pumping the brakes; there’s room to grow for the 25-year-old. During an era where’s there no shame in striking out, Franco makes contact at an impressive clip just over 80 percent, largely making up for a six percent walk rate. Improving selectivity could boost power, not to mention result in more free passes. A 36.7 percent flyball rate is fine for a power hitter, and a 30.9 percent hard-hit rate is a tick above league average. Where Franco falls short is barrels as he’s below average. However, his exit velocity is above average and studies show it’s easier to change launch angle so barrels could improve. The Phillies could play a middle infielder at the hot corner, but will likely give Franco another chance. You should too.

Expectations were high for the slugger entering 2016. Franco had a solid first half, hitting .269 with 18 homers, but he slumped after the All-Star break. Things were especially bad for Franco in August, when he hit just .224 with three homers. Franco had a tougher time against right-handed pitchers last season. While he did hit 17 of his homers against righties, he also managed just a .698 OPS against same-handed pitching as opposed to the .844 OPS he had against righties in 2015. Franco was also a bit unlucky last season, as he saw his BABIP drop from .298 in 2015 to .273. Although he did see a dip in his walk rate and a tick up in his strikeout rate, neither change is all that alarming at this stage. It is important to remember Franco is just 24 years old, and as he continues to refine his game, he should deliver improved numbers. Franco projects as the Phillies' cleanup hitter this season.

Franco began the year in Triple-A, and while his .355/.384/.539 line was impressive, that slugging percentage was doubles-driven as he hit just four homers in 151 plate appearances. He more than tripled that number with the Phillies, hitting 14 home runs in 335 plate appearances and giving Phillies fans something to be excited about in an otherwise dreadful season. Franco has a half season of major league time under his belt at a time where his age peers are still taking buses in Double-A, and he held his own with a .280/.343/.497 line. He never has walked much, but he’s a high-contact hitter for someone that has his power potential. He’ll see a lot more than 335 plate appearances in 2016, but his home run total may not get too far over 20 as the 14 he hit last season came along with a 16 percent HR/FB ratio. He could be a good four-category producer in 2016.

Franco struggled to adjust in his first three months at the Triple-A level, posting just a .230/.285/.364 batting line in the first half of the season, but a light seemed to go on at the end of June. In the second half of the season, he hit .309/.326/.551 with 10 home runs and earned a promotion to the majors when rosters expanded in September. Franco didn't do much offensively during his month in the majors, but he did show that his defense at third base was major league ready. The Phillies will give him an opportunity to compete for the starting job at third this spring. His upside makes him worth gambling on late in fantasy drafts if he earns a job in camp.

Franco moved past Jesse Biddle to become the Phillies' top prospect after his breakout 2013 season. He hit .320 with 36 doubles, 31 home runs and 103 RBI in 134 games with High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, and led all minor leaguers with 308 total bases. The Phillies believe he can stick at third base, but they also had him take some reps at first base late last season as they look to increase his versatility a bit. Franco will get an invitation to spring training, and has an outside chance at winning the starting job. The Phillies are more likely to open the year with Cody Asche at third, but Franco could get a shot later in the season if Asche fails to produce.

After a rough start to last season, Franco really turned things on after the All-Star break and finished the year hitting .280/.336/.439 with 32 doubles and 14 home runs for Low-A Lakewood. The power numbers are impressive, especially for someone that played the majority of last season as a 19-year-old in Low-A ball. Franco has one of the highest ceilings in the Phillies' farm system, but is still at least two to three years away from the majors.

Franco signed with the Phillies in 2010 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He struggled in rookie ball during the 2010 season but had a bit of a break out last season at Short Season Williamsport where he hit .287/.367/.411 with two home runs in 202 at-bats. Franco also saw some limited action for Low-A Lakewood, but struggled there. Scouts say Franco has a high ceiling and his solid eye at the plate in Williamsport (25 walks/30 strikeouts) is a positive sign, but he'll need to show more power in the future to maintain his prospect status.