Tampa Bay Rays rookie Wander Franco has been one of the most hyped prospects in recent baseball history, and he's already proving why just 50 games into his major-league career.
Franco, 20, hit the ground running in his first-ever game for the Rays, hitting a three-run homer against the Red Sox on June 22. But he struggled after that, hitting just .239/.297/.402 with three home runs and 14 RBI through July. Before the All-Star break, he was hitting just .197 in 61 at-bats. Any way you slice his early splits, things were off to a pretty slow start for a prospect with the highest possible expectations.
And then the calendar turned to August.
Since August 1, Wander Franco has been a man possessed, hitting .313/.380/.518 with three home runs, 15 RBIs, and an 8:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Most impressively, he is in the midst of a 27-game on-base streak, which ties him for the third-longest streak by a player 20 or younger in AL history with Al Kaline, who did it in 1954. Mickey Mantle had a 28-game on-base streak in 1952 and a 36-game on-base streak in 1951. In major-league history, Franco's streak is already in the top ten all-time, though he has a ways to go to match Frank Robinson's 43-game streak in 1956. Robinson would hit .290 that season and win the Rookie of the Year award.
So in other words, the Wander Franco breakout is already here, and it is spectacular.
While no young player is immune from the adjustment needed to succeed in the majors, Franco has made the turnaround incredibly quick, though it comes as no surprise to those who are watching him on a daily basis. He already has a 118 wRC+ and a great 15.5% strikeout rate, which figures to go down further as he continues to adjust to major-league pitching. Even at 20 years old, Franco has otherworldly patience at the plate, displaying an approach typically reserved for a ten-year veteran. And even then, he's still better than most.
This should come as no surprise, either. In his brief but spectacular minor-league career, Wander Franco's approach was legendary – over the course of three seasons, he walked more than he struck out, and that includes skipping Double-A ball altogether.
It'll be interesting to see how Franco's power develops in the majors. He's never been exceptional in this area, not that he should care to be; his exit velocity currently sits at 88.8 miles per hour, as he has simply been taking what's given to him. Right now, he excels in getting on base, and as his career continues, there will likely be an increased power stroke, because at this point, he can pretty much already do everything else at an elite level.
And when it comes to the AL Rookie of the Year, Franco is making a better case for himself each and every day. With about a month left in the season, he would almost appear to be a lock if he keeps this up. The embarrassment of riches continues for the Rays, as Randy Arozarena figures to be the other top contender for the award. Arozarena, who had such an incredible run in the postseason for Tampa Bay last year, is hitting .272/.351/.451 with 16 home runs, 55 RBIs, 24 doubles, 11 stolen bases and a 124 wRC+.
Securing the AL East division title – and the best record in the American League – won't be the only compelling storyline down the stretch; the race for Rookie of the Year should be just as good.
At this point, the baseball world might just be taking Tampa Bay's success for granted, but it shouldn't be forgotten that the Rays are once again leading a division led by payroll juggernauts like the Yankees and Red Sox. The beauty of baseball is that there isn't just one way to build a winning club, and while the Rays have cracked the code on winning in some of the most unconventional ways, Wander Franco is proof that good old-fashioned scouting and player development will work just fine, too.
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