Tampa Bay Rays: Is Wander Franco ready?

After months without baseball, Spring Training is a needed dose of action for MLB players and fans alike. Sure, the games have no influence on the end-of-year events but watching live baseball is exhilarating for everyone involved. One of the best aspects of March baseball is the chance to witness the next wave of MLB stars.

On Wednesday the league’s consensus top prospect, Wander Franco, gave fans a show. Franco clobbered a home run off Miguel Yajure to give the Tampa Bay Rays an early 1-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He added another hit later in the game to finish 2-for-3. This hot-start has everyone curious, is Franco ready for the big leagues?

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is baseball’s top prospect

For the front offices around baseball, the decision to call up top prospects is a delicate one. Time spent in the minor leagues is a necessary force, even for those generational talents, as MLB players must adapt to failure. The best hitters in the league still fail seven out of every 10 at-bats. Baseball is a brutal test of the mind.

Tampa Bay’s Franco is one of the generational talents. At 20-years-old, Franco possesses almost every physical tool in his arsenal. He’s a power-hitting switch hitter, with above-average discipline at the plate. The Dominican Republic product also displays electric bat speed and is inclined to walk more than he strikes out. Franco also plays shortstop, the captain of MLB defenses. Some scouts contest he projects better at third or second base, but he’s passed every eye test thus far.

Tampa Bay signed the league’s top prospect in July of 2017 to a $3.85 million minor league contract. He dominated rookie ball, earning Rookie Appalachian League MVP honors at just 17-years-old in 2018. The next year, Franco hit .327/.398/.487 between Class A Bowling Green and Class A Advanced Charlotte before earning a SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game nod. He continued to perform well at Tampa Bay’s alternate site last season, earning a spot on the Rays’ postseason taxi squad.

In all honesty, the next step in his progression is a shot at the major league level. Franco will have an opportunity to showcase his abilities throughout Spring Training. If he shines like many are expecting, then there’s no reason that fans won’t see Franco with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2021 campaign is over.

Franco stands at 5-foot-10 and 189 pounds of lean muscle. In his two seasons of Minor League Baseball, the future star owns a hitting line of .336/.405/.523 with 20 home runs, 110 RBIs, 14 triples, and 22 stolen bases in less than 700 at-bats.