Phillies Promote Actual Prospect

Mar 4, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco (7) singled during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at a spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies are 13-23. They’re last in the NL East. Only two teams in the NL have fewer wins than our Fightin’ Phils. It’s only May, but this season is already lost.

But not everything is bad. The Phillies do actually have some intriguing prospects in the pipeline. And today, they called up their most promising one: Maikel Franco. He is the team’s third baseman of the future.

Franco, who hit .355 with 12 doubles and 4 homers for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs this year, was the Baseball America’s No. 17-rated prospect in 2014. (He fell to No. 56 this year, but whatever, let’s ignore that.) The native of the Dominican Republic was signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2010.

He had a brief call-up at the end of last season, hitting just .179 in 56 at bats. But you know who else hit poorly in his first September call-up when he was 22? That’s right: The greatest third baseman of all time, Michael Jack Schmidt!

Okay, Franco won’t be as good as Schmidt. But since the Phillies sent down former third baseman Cody Asche to AAA to learn left field, Franco is your new third baseman for the foreseeable future. (He’s not a free agent until 2021!) Ruben Amaro said the team views Franco as better in the field.

A report by the Inquirer’s Matt Breen from Allentown earlier this week says Franco has a bit of personality, too. “I enjoy the game,” Franco told the paper. “Every time I come in, I just try to be a clown a little bit and enjoy the moment. I love to play baseball.”

He loves to play baseball! Sounds like he’ll fit in just fine. Let’s give him a little time to get adjusted before we boo him, okay?