Baseball's Next True Prodigy is an 18-Year-Old Tampa Bay Ray and You Should All Be Terrified
By Michael Luciano
The likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Ronald Acuña Jr. have been hyped up to an almost-comical degree as prospects in recent years, and then proceeded to live up to the hype.
The latest baseball sensation who will follow in the footsteps of these emerging superstars is currently hitting at a prolific rate in Port Charlotte, Florida. 18-year-old Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco is the real deal.
With Wander Franco, comparisons are wild. The plate discipline of Joe Mauer. The swag of Vladimir Guerrero. A prodigy like A-Rod + Griffey. Our deep dive into the rise of baseball’s top prospect/rockstar + why scouts call him “the real deal” @RaysBaseball https://t.co/1cki5IsdN2
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) August 19, 2019
Franco, a middle infielder, with speed, power, a slick glove, and uncommon bat control, is hitting .322 with 9 home runs, 50 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in 107 games for the Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Class-A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs, where he is currently assigned.
The most insane Franco stat is the fact that in this age of 98 MPH fastballs and strikeouts galore, he has only struck out 31 times in 398 at-bats. 31 TIMES!
“I remember walking away saying, ‘Wow, this guy is a major-league player.'"
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 19, 2019
So why did that quote jump off the page of this great piece from @JoeSmithTB?
Maybe because it's a quote about Wander Franco...at age 14!
A must-read on baseball's next phenom. https://t.co/FPaEaIL8qX
Franco is still a long way from making his MLB debut at Tropicana Field, so for the next year or two, the baseball world will have to make do with salivating over his immense potential as he takes out his rage on some poor minor league pitchers.