Wood's 2005 is really a different thing...and not yet a cautionary tale, I think. He exploded that year with 43 HR's and 51 doubles in Rancho Cucamonga, A+ ball. He had a brief cup of team in AAA Salt Lake at the end of that year. Great numbers, but I suspect RC is a desert-type hitters park. Any help here?
Following that year he had good, but not necessarity terrific AA and AAA seasons. (Compare his Salt Lake seasons with teammate Kendry Morales and you get to see the difference between a real AAA prospect and one with inflated value becasue of one outlier burst of power). Wood may well yet become a good, but not terrific MLB hitter. That's a reminder that he really only has the equivalent of a single MLB season of experience. However, Wood has shown a striking ML tendency to swing at everything and not make contact. He swings at 38% of the O-Swing MLB pitches he sees and makes contact only 56% of the time. Z-Swing numbers are 69%/80%
Now, compare that to Josh Wilson who has OSwing numbers of 31%/62% and Z-Swing's of 69%/91% . MIchael Saunders' are 27%/49% and 60%/88%. Wood swings much more often and meets the ball much less.
Franklin will hit next year. But it is the year following, when he see's some borderline MLB arms that will be the one to watch carefully. Will his EYE reveal itself as a continuing warning or will his ability square the ball continue?
Points to remember:
1. Woods may yet become a decent MLB hitter (especially for a MIF), although his swing and contact numbers need some real improvement.
2. Woods jumped up the ratings chart becasue of one huge A+ season. That doesn't really compare to the Franklin experience, yet.
3. You can't really use the BAHIP #'s of the two plaers as 19 year olds for MUCH comparison, as there is a variablitly there that might not equal out over one season.
Franklin is riding a rocket ride now. some of those fizzle. Some hit the afterburners. He's a long leveraging lefty. I'm betting he isn't a total fizzle.
moe
Add new comment
1