That Balls Outta Here
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Maikel Franco quietly having very solid season for the Phillies

By Kerry Kauffman

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs to third base on his way to scoring a run in the bottom of the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on June 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs to third base on his way to scoring a run in the bottom of the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on June 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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As a rookie just three seasons ago, Maikel Franco opened eyes hitting .280 with an .840 OPS in 80 games.  Since then Franco’s production in terms of average and OPS has declined steadily.

Still young and showing some power with 25 and 24 home runs in 2016 and 2017, respectively, Franco was deemed somewhat of a disappointment for Phillies fans.

However, this season he’s putting together perhaps the best overall season of his career.

He started hot in April, hitting .278 with four home runs and 21 RBI.  Although hitting four home runs in May, Franco’s average dipped to .258 for the month and then down to .250 for June.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 23 : Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during a pitching change against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 23 : Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during a pitching change against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Franco picked up the pace in July. Could he have been thinking about the trade deadline? For whatever reason, Franco got hit, hitting .330 with seven home runs for the month.

Batting in nearly every spot in the batting order, Franco is batting .277 with 20 home runs and 60 RBI. His average and OPS are his highest since his rookie season and has a chance to set a career high in home runs.  He’s also struck out just once every seven at-bats, tops on a team that is one of the worst at putting the pull in play.

Defensively, it appears that Franco has made more remarkable plays this season than in year’s past. Examining his numbers, he still commits too many errors (12 so far this season) and his fielding percentage of .958, while solid, isn’t stellar. However, Franco’s range factor is up, clearly indicating he is getting to more balls than before.

What many forget is that Franco is still young. He will not turn 26 until later this month, so he has time to develop before reaching his prime in a few years.

Mike Schmidt led the league in home runs twice by the time he was 25, however, no third baseman in the history of the game has compared favorably to Schmidt in terms of power.

The defensive comparisons at the same age are comparable. Schmidt committed 50 errors in his age 24 and 25 seasons.

There is time for Franco to continue to improve with the glove as well.

With all the talks of the Phillies pursuing Manny Machado this offseason, could Franco be playing to open eyes for others around the league? Perhaps the Phillies will be content with Franco and look to spend their money elsewhere this offseason, particularly if Machado signs somewhere else.

The Yankees for one have come up in conversation as a possible landing spot and a likely attractive location for Machado.

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Fans need to accept and appreciate Franco for what he is, a solid overall third baseman with good power and often reliable defense.

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