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

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog