Maikel Franco

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #3 prospect in 2015
  Franco signed as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic for $100,000. His career took off in the second half of the 2012 season at low Class A Lakewood, and he broke out in 2013, hitting 31 homers while reaching Double-A Reading. He had to rebound after a poor introduction to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2014, but he turned it on late in the season and earned a September callup. The biggest knock on Franco is always going to be his overaggressive approach, and his walk rate of 5.4 percent tied for fifth-worst in the International League in 2014. He's got plenty of power and makes a high rate of contact despite a swing that can get long, but he's vulnerable to velocity on his hands. Franco probably won't hit for a high average unless he tones down his approach and learns to better recognize and lay off breaking pitches out of the zone. He still draws positive reviews at third base for his quick first step'though he's a well below-average runner-- and top-shelf arm strength, which allows him to unleash laser throws from all arm angles. Franco will challenge Cody Asche for the third base job with Philadelphia to open the 2015 season, but he most likely faces a return to Triple-A to work more on refining his approach.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #1 prospect in 2014
  Signed for just $100,000 out of the Dominican Republic, Franco stood out as an amateur for his power bat, throwing arm and 7.7-second time in the 60-yard dash. That lack of speed had the Phillies consider a move to catcher, but that's no longer the case. Franco showed enough offensive polish to jump to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old and reached low Class A Lakewood in late 2011 at age 18. Back at Lakewood in 2012, he dealt with a serious case of over-aggression, leading to a .207/.269/.338 line over his first 64 games in full-season ball. Once the weather in the Northeast warmed up, however, so did Franco (.346/.395/.530), and he hasn't stopped hitting. Franco followed up with a 31-homer season in 2013, earning himself a spot on the Florida State League all-star team in the first half, as well as his second Futures Game nod and a promotion to Double-A. He was the organization's player of the year after leading it in batting (.320), homers (31) and RBIs (103). Franco offers premium bat speed that produces 70 power on the 20-80 scale. He's still too aggressive at times, but he has significantly cut down on his strikeouts and increased his walk rate. He doesn't walk much but makes such hard, consistent contact that he rarely goes into slumps. His swing gets out of control at times, and he has shown a vulnerability to breaking pitches down and in. Even with those dings and despite his top-shelf power, he struck out just 70 times in 581 plate appearances in 2013, or just 12 percent of the time. At third base, Franco showed good hands and actions, along with an above-average arm while making 15 errors. He moves left to right well and has the footwork to stick at third despite his poor running speed. The Phillies see him as a true middle-of-the-order bat who can hit for average and produce something on the order of 30 homers annually. They moved Franco to first base for the last week or so of the season, a move designed to make him more comfortable with a new position rather than an abandonment of the hot corner. Rookie third baseman Cody Asche jumped to Philadelphia in August, and while his promotion was a factor in Franco's late stint at first base, Franco's ceiling is higher. His time at first provides Ryan Howard insurance for Philly, which intends to send Franco to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open the 2014 season. He could challenge for a spot at Citizens Bank Park sometime toward the end of the season. Once he gets there, Philadelphia should have a power righthanded bat to complement Howard, Chase Utley and Domonic Brown in the middle of the lineup.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #8 prospect in 2013
  His 7.7-second 60-yard dash times scared scouts off Franco in showcase settings, but Koby Perez closely followed him and suggested to Phillies international supervisor Sal Agostinelli that Franco could move behind the plate. That never came to pass, but Philadelphia has been pleased with his progress since signing him for $100,000. He hit .346/.395/.530 in the second half of 2012 as a 19-year-old in low Class A. Franco has an unconventional arm-bar swing and pre-pitch movement that make his stroke long at times, but he has quick hands and good feel for the barrel. He has well above-average raw power and puts on a show in batting practice, though he doesn't always get to his pop during games. Early in 2012, he struggled with soft stuff away, got pull-happy and didn't have much of a two-strike approach. He found success when he worked the middle of the diamond in the second half. Despite being a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Franco projects as a solid third baseman with a strong arm and soft hands. He has a thick lower half and will need to keep his body in check. Franco has a ceiling of a power-hitting corner infielder, but he'll have to continue to make offensive adjustments, especially in recognizing offspeed stuff. He'll make the jump to high Class A in 2013.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2012
  Franco wasn't flashy in workouts as an amateur, and his 7.7-second 60-yard dash time scared teams away. Phillies international supervisor Sal Agostinelli saw that his tools stood out more in game situations, and signed Franco for $100,000. He was one of the short-season New York-Penn League's top hitters in 2011, though he was overmatched when promoted to low Class A in August. Franco has one of the highest ceilings among Philadelphia's position prospects. He has an unconventional arm-bar swing, but his great bat speed and hand-eye coordination produce above-average power. He's aggressive at the plate, gets pull-happy at times and needs a better two-strike approach. Though he has trimmed down since signing, Franco has a thick body and is a well below-average runner. His plus arm, good agility and smooth actions should allow him to stay at third base. The Phillies initially tried putting Franco behind the plate because of his arm strength, and he could revisit catching down the line. Philadelphia hasn't developed a homegrown third baseman since Scott Rolen, and Franco doesn't have much competition in the system to be the next one. He'll return to Lakewood in 2012, when he'll be one of the youngest players in full-season ball at age 19.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #3 prospect in 2015
  Franco made his Triple-A debut last season as a 21-year-old and struggled to adjust to a heavy dose of breaking and offspeed pitches. He returned there this year and made quick work of opposing pitchers before getting the call to Philadelphia in May. IL observers noted Franco's improved strike-zone awareness compared to last season, which allowed him to drive the ball to all fields. He has above-average raw power that he's tapping into more, though he's still too aggressive at times. Franco lacks foot speed but is adequate defensively with a laser arm. "The potential is there," Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles said. "He can bat four-five-six in the middle of a lineup. Those type of bats don't come around too often."
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  Ranked International League #4 prospect in 2014
  Franco got off to a slow start at Triple-A, hitting just .230/.285/.364 in the first half, but Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage wisely left him in the No. 3 spot while he worked out his struggles. Franco eventually stopped over-swinging and laid off low breaking pitches to slug .551 with 10 homers after the all-star break. "He's had an up-and-down year," Lehigh Valley hitting coach Sal Rende said, "but since the beginning of June, he's been really, really solid. When he gets ready and trusts himself and gets in a good count to hit, he gets pretty lethal." With his above-average power, Franco profiles as a potential middle-of-the-order bat and run-producer for the Phillies. He doesn't run well and probably won't hit for a high average, but his power will profile on a corner. Franco has double-plus arm strength but otherwise is a solid if unremarkable defensive third baseman. He played a career-high 23 games at first base this season, as the Phillies eye potential replacements for Ryan Howard.
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  Ranked Florida State League #5 prospect in 2013
  Franco signed for $100,000 in 2010, or $3.05 million less than the Twins awarded Sano. Franco isn?t as physical as Sano, but his performance mirrored that of his more-hyped rival, and most scouts said Franco grades out just a half-step behind the Twins prospect. Soft hands and a wristy swing allow Franco to take a healthy?at times vicious?swing while retaining feel for the barrel and plate coverage. He?s shortened his swing as he?s developed, making more contact without sacrificing power. He?s willing to use the whole field and can drive the ball from pole to pole. While he?s slow and usually earns 20 or 30 run grades, Franco has good footwork and a strong, accurate arm that produces good carry on his throws. While he played some first base after his promotion to Double-A, most scouts consider him an average defender at third.
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  Ranked Eastern League #4 prospect in 2013
  Even while he was struggling in the first half of 2012, the impact potential of Franco?s bat was clearly evident. He hit well in the final two months of 2012 and continued to rake in 2013, posting nearly the same numbers in the EL as he did in the Florida State League, where he crushed 16 homers in 65 games prior to a promotion. Franco has improved his plate discipline and made greater contact by using the whole field. Tremendous bat speed plus a swing that stays in the hitting zone for a long time allowed him to club 31 homers across two levels this season. One EL skipper, however, noted that Franco was susceptible to breaking balls down and away, and that he can let his swing get out of control sometimes. He?s still a bit of work in progress at third base, but every evaluator surveyed for this list believed he had the skills to stay at the hot corner, despite 20 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale and middling range. He has a plus arm and good hands, but he?s already a big boy and any more size would hinder his range.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #16 prospect in 2012
  Overmatched against SAL pitching when called up to Lakewood last August, Franco continued to struggle in the first half of his year before batting .346/.395/.530 after the all-star break. He led the Blue Claws in homers and tied for fourth in the league in RBIs. An aggressive hitter, Franco has above-average raw power. But instead of letting it come naturally, he'll lengthen his swing and shoot for the fences more than he should. Though he's a below-average runner, he moves well laterally at third base and exhibits good hands and a strong arm. "He reminds me a lot of Adrian Beltre," Nava said. "His bat with more work is going to be very good. On defense, he has a plus arm, his hands are pretty soft and he is going to get better. You look at the whole package and there is a lot to like with him."
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #4 prospect in 2011
  Franco impressed the Phillies so much that he earned an August promotion to low Class A Lakewood. When that proved to be too much too soon, he was sent back to Williamsport, where he continued to show he could hold his own against older competition. Franco flashes above-average raw power and the ability to drive the ball to his pull side, but he's still working to unlock his offensive potential. He gets pull-happy and has a tendency to take big hacks, and the Phillies would like him to tone down his approach with two strikes. His plate discipline is a work in progress, but he has bat speed, hand-eye coordination and youth on his side. His defense was ahead of his bat when he signed and continues to shine. Franco has good actions, a plus arm and solid range at third base despite his well below-average speed.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #56 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #17 prospect in 2014

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: His 7.7-second 60-yard dash times scared international scouts off Franco in showcase settings, but Koby Perez closely followed him and suggested to Phillies international supervisor Sal Agostinelli that Franco could move behind the plate. That never came to pass, but Philadelphia has been pleased with his progress since signing him for $100,000. He hit .346/.395/.530 in the second half of 2012 as a 19-year-old in low Class A. Scouting Report: Franco has an unconventional arm-bar swing and pre-pitch movement that make his stroke long at times, but he has quick hands and good feel for the barrel. He has well above-average raw power and puts on a show in batting practice, though he doesn't always get to his pop during games. Early in 2012, he struggled with soft stuff away, got pull-happy and didn't have much of a two-strike approach. He found success when he worked the middle of the diamond in the second half. Despite being a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, Franco projects as a solid third baseman with a strong arm and soft hands. Franco has a thick lower half and will need to keep his body in check. The Future: Franco has a ceiling of a power-hitting corner infielder, but he'll have to continue to make offensive adjustments, especially in recognizing offspeed stuff. He'll make the jump to high Class A in 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Franco wasn't flashy in workouts as an amateur, and his 7.7-second 60-yard dash time scared teams away. Phillies international supervisor Sal Agostinelli saw that his tools stood out more in game situations, and signed Franco for $100,000. He was one of the short-season New York-Penn League's top hitters in 2011, though he was overmatched at low Class A in August. Scouting Report: Franco has one of the highest ceilings among Philadelphia's position prospects. He has an unconventional arm-bar swing, but his great bat speed and hand-eye coordination produce above-average power. He's aggressive at the plate, gets pull-happy at times and needs a better two-strike approach. Though he has trimmed down since signing, Franco has a thick body and is a well below-average runner. His plus arm, good agility and smooth actions should allow him to stay at third base. The Phillies initially tried putting Franco behind the plate because of his arm strength, and he could revisit catching down the line. The Future: Philadelphia hasn't developed a third baseman since Scott Rolen, and Franco doesn't have much competition in the system to be the next one. He'll return to Lakewood in 2012, when he'll be one of the youngest players in full-season ball at age 19.