Maikel Franco Recognized for Owning June

Maikel Franco got too hot for Florida, so the Phillies used a big set of tongs to move him up to Reading.

It was June 19, and suddenly, Reading was burning, too.

h/t MLB Prospect Portal

Franco defied science the second he landed, embarking on a scorching hot streak in June that left him with .418/.429/.727 sash line, a 1.156 OPS, with 23 hits in 55 ABs and only two strikeouts (In June, he hit .404 with a 1.217 OPS).  He’s hit four home runs, two triples, and a double, and has had no issues fitting right in.

The team is 8-6 since his arrival, which isn’t great, but they’re in last place, so any kind of .500+ split is good news.

It was very necessary to award him the Minor League Player of the Month award for June, as the 20-year is breaking necks not only in the Phillies’ organization, but from completely unbiased sources as well.  Baseball Prospectus named him #50 on their mid-season top 100 prospects list, 51 spots higher than he was listed before the season started.

This is a big year for Franco.  Infielders across the Minor League land have been stepping up their game in hopes of sliding into one of the vacated spots in the Phillies’ infield.  Franco’s statement is both loud and shocking.  He seems unable to cool down, so most likely, the Phillies’ biggest concern is him going supernova.

"“Going supernova isn’t ‘defying science,’ idiot; that’s what science is!”–Some Astronomer who Reads this Site"

[Image courtesy of MLB Prospect Portal]