Top Prospect Franco Promoted to Double-A Reading

Maikel Franco with Lakewood in 2012, photo- Jay Floyd

On the same day which Phillies second baseman Chase Utley joined the Double-A Reading Fightins to begin a rehab assignment, as he recovers from an oblique issue, the club added another big bat, as slugging third base prospect Maikel Franco was promoted from Class A Advanced Clearwater.

Through 65 games with the Threshers this season, Franco posted a .299 average with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. His doubles total (23) was tops in the Florida State League, while his homer total was tied for the league lead.

Franco's manager with Clearwater, former big league third baseman Chris Truby has seen improvements in the youngster in just the few short months that he's managed him.

"Maikel has worked his tail off and improved his game in all areas," Truby stated. "At the plate he has a better idea of the strike zone and is able to do impressive damage when he gets a pitch to hit. He is using the whole field and driving the ball to all fields."

Often regarded for his offensive prowess, Franco is highly skilled on defense as well. Having excellent instincts along with a strong arm, the Dominican Republic native is developing into a total package prospect on the field.

"On defense he is just as impressive. He can make all the plays. He works extremely hard and is very motivated to reach the highest level. He is just an impressive all around talent that has the desire to get better," Truby added.

Look for Franco, who was ranked as the Phillies' 4th best prospect this year by PhilliesNation.com, to make his debut with Reading on Thursday, as Utley continues his rehab efforts and nears a return to the big club.

Comments

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

Eight years after he initially signed a professional contract with the Dodgers and a five-year stretch playing away from affiliated ball, Bubby Rossman became a major leaguer on Wednesday. Added as a substitute for pitcher Kyle Gibson, who is restricted from travel to Canada for the Phillies' series in Toronto, due to his medical inability to be vaccinated from COVID-19, Rossman took the mound for the first time in the majors. Rossman, who was a 22nd round draft selection in 2014 had pitched in 200 professional games before his one-inning outing in the Phillies' 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. In 27 appearances with Double-A Reading this year, the 30-year-old right-hander has performed well, tallying a 2-2 record with a save, a 3.32 ERA and a .200 batting average against. The embedded video below features a media session with Rossman from prior to opening day this year, in which the California native discusses his journey through independent baseball and back to affiliated ball w...

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...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog