Nick Franklin... month or two ago we were asked to hit the vid room and weigh in on his projectable power, or lack thereof ...
Interesting question that ... why on draft day 2009 they wrote off his power, and therefore his chances to make much of an impact with the bat ...
An even more interesting question, why this still is the case per some field-level scouts, the dismissal of Franklin's potential to hit 20+ homers, considering he has in fact hit just about that many in a fraction of the 2010 season. Is the kid just to small to hit with authority against the fearsome MLB(TM) fireballers? Mayhaps...
The vid has been consumed, the shtick has been marinating, and don' hesitate with other points of interest that should be addressed...
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Stat du jour dept.: 44% fly balls, only 5% popups against RHP's this season. In July, that was 46% flyballs, 2% popups, and 26% line drives, against all pitchers...
First thing you notice about Franklin, his ability to loft the ball while staying on top of it. This is a Joltin' Joe swing that produces rising line drives on a game-in, game-out basis...
If Joe D was a bit before your time, other ML batters have had Franklin's intersection of swing shape and batted-ball profile: Evan Longoria, Adam LaRoche, Jhonny Peralta, Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher, Jason Kubel, and indeed Adam Dunn.
Russell Branyan takes it to comedic levels. When's the last time you saw Russell pop up on the infield? He hits popups, but they go 425. The man who can loft the ball without skying it ... well, isn't that the reverse of what the pitchers are trying to accomplish?
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Franklin's dirt-dog personality produces an obvious Mariner comp as far as the makeup is concerned: Chris Snelling his ownself. Guess we get a second chance at a Yoda, this one with the ability to stay on the field.
In the 1980's, there was one NBA player (and only one) who negotiated a "love of the game" clause into his contract. It said that he could play basketball any time, anywhere, without asking the Bulls' permission. Bob Costas later commented, "Michael Jordan is what you get when you cross a supremely talented athlete ... with an overachiever."
Franklin is an [overachiever x supreme talent]. If the average ballplayer had half of Nick Franklin's desire...
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Dr. D is charmed by gym rats like Michael Jordan, Chris Snelling and Nick Franklin, but that ain't why we'll be high-five G-Moneyball for (yet another) early-radar catch. Like with Michael Pineda, the industry is wayyyy behind the curve as to how good Nick Franklin is. Pineda was already one of the top 10 prospects in the game when they started acknowledging him as a top-100.
Franklin ain't top-10-in-baseball yet, but he's a lot better than people admit. If a draft were held tomorrow, he could be taken #2 or #3 overall. Quite the infield storm brewing, ain't it?
Stay cool,
Dr D
Dr D...
Thanks for the Franklin words. I have been on his video all summer and feel the same way. Great posture, stays connected, great extension. He shortened up his stance from the spring. He knows how to load and unload and use his body to the max. In some ways he feminds me of Robin Ventura.
Churchill thinks there is a chance they put him on the 40 man this year. That he could skip high desert and go right to AA in 2011. Unreal.
Move the kid up and give Figgins a bus ticket to Badgerland?
Has anyone been able to see Kyle Seager? See if he belongs on the Silver Bullet Band? Sorry, couldn't resist. Impressive second half even if playing in the desert.
Which would mean, if true, a Sept callup, and if he slugs .500 in AA/AAA, then boom, he's your shortstop midsummer '011.
Slap me silly.
...Betancourt had a ride like that: a month or two in AA, a month or two in AAA, hit league average both places, and then boom, he's in Safeco.
Part of the logic being that the SS doesn't have to hit.
Good to see new content from the Dr.
I kind of group prospects into three categories now: elite (meaning so talented that something would need to go wrong for them not to be an MLB contributor); intriguing (meaning could go either way); and longshot (meaning something needs to go right for them to make an MLB roster).
For years, we had mostly "intriguing" -- Wlads and Tuis and Manginis.
Now we have three clear-cut "elite" -- Smoak, Ackley and Pineda (after not really having any post-Felix -- unless you want to count Adam Jones). Lueke in the bullpen could be approaching that. And, yes, we need to be considering whether Franklin should be added to that category. If he can play SS every day in the majors, then absolutely, because he's showing enough extra-base power and patience at 19 to hold his own with the bat.
And the "intriguing" list goes on and on: Saunders, Moore, Tui, Robles, Cortes, Wilhelmsen, Varvaro, Fields, Poythress, Raben, Seager (upgraded from longshot), Chavez, Moran, Pryor, Jones and down to the very young guys Brandol Perez (overwhelming stats at 16 in the DSL), Ji-Man Choi (promoted from rookie ball all the way to High Desert at 19, and holding his own), Taijuan Walker and Sharkie Unsworth (both flashing interesting stuff at 17).
Most are Z-crew acquisitions. Franklin was considered a "reach" by many, and guys like Seager and Pryor look like brilliant lower-round picks (Wilhelmsen and Pryor combined for 11 K in 8 IP, 0 ER the other day).
Good article in Baseball America online about Nick Franklin. Apparently he has lost 20lbs this summer.