Wander Franco

Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr.[1] (born March 1, 2001), nicknamed "El Patron", is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021 and was an All-Star in 2023.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Franco and the second or maternal family name is Aybar.
Wander Franco
Franco with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023
Tampa Bay Rays – No. 5
Shortstop
Born: (2001-03-01) March 1, 2001
Baní, Dominican Republic
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 22, 2021, for the Tampa Bay Rays
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.282
Home runs30
Runs batted in130
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Professional career

Minor leagues

Franco was ranked as one of the top international prospects in the 2017 international class.[2] He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization on July 2, 2017.[3][4] Franco made his professional debut in 2018 with the Princeton Rays. On July 14, 2018, Franco hit for the cycle while playing for Princeton.[5] In 2018, at 17 years old, Franco was named the 2018 Appalachian League Player of the Year after hitting .374/.445/.636 with 11 home runs and 57 runs batted in (RBIs) over 245 plate appearances for the Princeton Rays.[6][7]

Prior to the 2019 season, Franco was ranked as the fourth best prospect in baseball by Baseball America.[8] He began the season with the Bowling Green Hot Rods.[9][10] He was promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs on June 25.[11] Franco was named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game.[12] He finished the 2019 season with a .327/.398/.487 slash line with nine home runs and 53 RBIs.

Prior to the 2020 season, Franco was ranked the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball. On September 22, the Rays added Franco to their Player pool of players who would be eligible to play in the Major League Baseball postseason. Franco did not appear in an MLB game, and did not play in any minor league contests due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] Instead, he played in the Dominican Winter League in the 2020-21 offseason with Leones del Escogido, batting .350/.435/.500 in 23 at-bats.

The Rays invited Franco to major league spring training in 2021, but he did not make the team, and began the season in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls.[14] In 39 games with Durham, Franco logged a .315/.367/.586 slash line with seven home runs and 35 RBIs.[15]

2021 season

On June 20, 2021, the Rays announced that Franco would be promoted to the major leagues, prior to the team’s series against the Boston Red Sox. He was formally selected to the 40-man roster on June 22.[16] Franco made his MLB debut the same day.[17] In the game, Franco recorded his first career hit, home run, and RBI on a three-run shot off of Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez in the fifth inning.[18]

Franco during the 2021 season

On August 25, Franco reached base safely for the 26th consecutive game, setting a record for the longest run by a player under 21 years old since 1961. On September 7, Franco reached base safely for the 37th consecutive time passing Mickey Mantle’s 36 game on base streak for a player 20-years old or younger.

On November 23, 2021, Franco and the Rays agreed to an eleven-year, $182 million contract extension, with a club option of $25 million for a twelfth year. At age 20, Franco became the youngest player in baseball history to sign a contract worth at least $100 million, passing Ronald Acuña Jr.'s eight-year, $100 million contract extension signed in 2019. Franco's deal was the largest for any player with less than one year of major league service.

2022 season

On April 22, 2022, Franco had his first multi home run game against the Boston Red Sox. Franco became the youngest player in Tampa Bay Rays franchise history to have a multi homer game, doing so at age 21 and 52 days old.

On May 31, 2022, Franco was placed on the 10-Day IL due to a strained quadriceps.[19] He was activated on June 26.[20] On July 9, 2022, Franco was placed on the 10-Day injured list, two days later it was announced Franco would miss 5-8 weeks due to hand surgery. On September 9, 2022, he was activated off the injured list.

2023 season

On July 4, 2023, Franco was selected to his first All-Star game as the roster replacement for Aaron Judge, who was injured.[21]

Franco was placed on the Rays' restricted list on August 13, as MLB and a specialized Minor and Gender Violence Division based in Peravia began investigations into an alleged relationship with a minor.[22][23] Franco was placed on indefinite administrative leave by Major League Baseball on August 22 as the investigation continued. “The administrative leave, effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy,” according to MLB.[24]

International career

Franco represented the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. With Willy Adames and Jeremy Peña at shortstop, he instead played second base, splitting time with Ketel Marte. Over the course of nine at-bats in three games, Franco slashed .222/.417/.222, leading the team in walks (along with Juan Soto) with three.[25]

Personal life

His brothers, Wander Alexander Franco and Wander Javier Franco, played in the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants organizations. His father, also named Wander, played minor league ball in the 1990s. His mother, Nancy Aybar, is the sister of Erick Aybar[26] and Willy Aybar, both of whom played in Major League Baseball.[27]

Franco married his girlfriend after the 2021 MLB season. The pair have a son, Wander Samuel Franco Jr., born in late 2018, and have another son, born in 2022.[27][28]

References
  1. "Tampa Bay Rays 2022 media guide" (PDF). mlb.com. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  2. "2017 Prospect Watch". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  3. Topkin, Marc (July 2, 2017). "Rays journal: Rays to sign top international prospect Wander Franco". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  4. Chastain, Bill (July 2, 2017). "Rays sign international prospect Wander Franco | Tampa Bay Rays". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. Rosenbaum, Mike (July 14, 2018). "Rays prospect Wander Franco hits for cycle". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  6. Topkin, Marc (March 5, 2019). "The wonder of Wander, who is on the Rays' fast track". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  7. Sanford, Adam (August 23, 2019). "Wander Franco named Appalachian League Player of the Year". DRays Bay. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  8. Cooper, J.J. (April 26, 2019). "Wander Franco Dominating The Midwest League, Already". Baseball America. Archived from the original on September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  9. Romano, John (May 1, 2019). "With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the majors, the countdown begins for the Rays' Wander Franco". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  10. Glasier, David S. (May 18, 2019). "Wander Franco's star rising with Hot Rods". The News-Herald. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  11. Kolakowski, Ryan (June 26, 2019). "Rays uber prospect Wander Franco shines in Stone Crabs debut". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. Callis, Jim (June 28, 2019). "Here are the 2019 Futures Game rosters". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  13. Todd, Jeff (June 30, 2020). "2020 Minor League Season Canceled". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  14. Adams, Steve (April 29, 2021). "Wander Franco To Open Minor League Season In Triple-A". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  15. Anderson, R.J. (June 22, 2021). "Wander Franco MLB debut: Baseball's top prospect hitting second, playing third for Rays vs. Red Sox". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  16. Franco, Anthony (January 28, 2021). "Rays Promote Wander Franco". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  17. "Wander Franco's Major League debut highlights". Mlb.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  18. Jackson, Wilton (June 22, 2021). "Rays' Wander Franco Launches Home Run in MLB Debut". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  19. "Rays SS Wander Franco goes to 10-day IL with quad injury". San Diego Union Tribune. Associated Press. June 1, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  20. "Rays SS Wander Franco returns from quadriceps injury". USA Today. June 26, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  21. "Rays' Wander Franco added to 2023 All-Star roster, joining Díaz and Arozarena". WFLA. July 9, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  22. Anderson, R.J. (August 14, 2023). "Wander Franco placed on MLB restricted list as league investigates social media posts regarding Rays shortstop". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  23. Alcántara, Martín Adames (August 17, 2023). "Dominican investigation of Rays' Wander Franco is being led by gender violence and minors division". Associated Press. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  24. "Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco placed on indefinite administrative leave". CNN. August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  25. "Stats - Dominican Republic". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  26. Topkin, Marc (July 2, 2017). "Rays finalize deal with top prospect Wander Franco". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  27. Passan, Jeff (June 11, 2019). "Passan: How Wander Franco became MLB's next can't-miss kid". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  28. Topkin, Marc. "Rays not too worried despite Austin Meadows' early exit". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
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