Prospect Nation 2013: #4 3B Maikel Franco

Powerful Dominican third baseman Maikel Franco has shown great progress during his time as a pro. A highly touted player, Franco is an individual that Phils fans should be getting excited about as he climbs the developmental ladder.

Signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies in 2010 at the age of 17, Franco would make his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies that same year. He posted respectable numbers for his age, with a line of.222/.292/.330 in 51 games.

A year later, the righty hitting Franco began the season in extended spring training and later competed with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters. Franco looked great against New York-Penn League competition, posting two home runs, 28 RBI and a .274/.339/.389 line in 42 games before earning a promotion to Class A Lakewood.

In the South Atlantic League, at the age of 18, the baby-faced Franco struggled quite a bit. In 17 contests for the BlueClaws, Franco went 8-for-67 (.123 avg) and racked up an awful .349 OPS. The Phillies realized Franco was over-matched and that he was growing discouraged, so he was re-assigned back to Williamsport, where he finished the season by batting .333 with seven extra-base hits and 10 RBI over his final 13 games with the Crosscutters.

During his 2012 campaign back in Lakewood, the 6-foot-1 185-pounder showed much improvement and displayed considerable power throughout the season. Franco began the season at somewhat of a slow pace, batting just .207 with six homers, 27 RBI and a .607 OPS before he heated things up after the South Atlantic League All-Star break. In the second half of the season, Franco really showed what he can do, tallying a .346 average with eight home runs, 57 RBI, which were tops in the league during that stretch, and a .925 OPS.

Franco can drive the ball to all fields and has the highest offensive ceiling of any player on this year's countdown. Trust in his hands, a firm routine and solid concentration helped the Azua native a great amount, according to Lakewood hitting coach Greg Legg. Maturing as a player and the realization that utilizing all of his resources and his downtime to the fullest are things that certainly also helped Franco excel last year and will continue to be key for him, if he is to maximize his potential.

Speed is not a facet of Franco's game, as he has just three stolen bases in his three pro seasons.

Defensively, Franco is outstanding, displaying a strong arm, excellent reflexes and great glove work at the hot corner. Franco moves well to both sides, displaying very good range in the field.

Overall, Franco has an excellent makeup and projects to be a very good third baseman at the highest levels of the game. Look for the youngster to begin the 2013 season with Class A Advanced Clearwater, where he'll play under former big league third baseman Chris Truby, who manages the Threshers. If Franco continues to progress at a similar pace to what he showed last season, seeing time at the Double-A level this year may not be out of the question, although considering his age, the Phils are likely to have him endure a full season in the Florida State League.

Justin De Fratus Interview Excerpts- May, 2011

Armed with a 2-0 record, 3 saves and a 2.95 ERA in 15 games this season for the Double A Reading Phillies, Justin De Fratus continues to make strides toward his goal of reaching the Major Leagues. Ranked as a top 10 prospect within the Phillies system last off-season, the 23-year-old De Fratus was in camp with the Phillies during big league spring training. In 3 games with the Phils during the Grapefruit League season, De Fratus allowed 4 earned runs in 4 innings and took a loss. He did strike out an impressive 5 batters in those 4 frames, however. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft, De Fratus stood out as a force in relief last year for both the High A Clearwater Threshers and the R-Phils. In 49 combined games at the two levels, De Fratus posted a 3-0 record with 21 saves and a 1.94 ERA. De Fratus continued his excellent 2011 by pitching for Team USA in the Pan-American qualifiers held in Puerto Rico, helping the Americans finish with a 9-1 record. He also posted out...

Bubby Rossman's long awaited MLB debut

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Series Preview: Braves at Phillies, August 6-8

The Braves (62-46) travel to Philadelphia to begin a three-game series with the Phillies (49-59) on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. In the past month, the two clubs have faced each other in two separate series, with the Braves winning all six of the contests. Atlanta’s recent dominance over the Phils is the opposite of how things went last season, when the Phillies handed the Braves six losses toward the end of the 2011 season. Those defeats shut the door on Atlanta’s postseason hopes. Read ahead for notes on the pitching the match ups and additional statistical information on this series. Monday, 7:05 PM. Ben Sheets (3-1, 1.46 ERA) vs. Vance Worley (6-6, 3.63 ERA). In 9 career starts against the Phillies, Sheets has a 3-4 record with a 4.50 ERA. Ty Wigginton is 12-for-36 (.333 avg) with 2 doubles and 2 HR in his career against Sheets. The righty Sheets was the Brewers' 1st round draft pick in 1999. In his last 5 starts, Worley has a 2-1 record with a 4.06 ERA. In 9 home s...

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