Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CHC | RHP | 11 | 45 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | CH | Cmd/Cnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 45/40 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: Matt Thompson
Age: 21 yr
Height: 6-4
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 Draft - Round 6
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: Tall, lean 6'4" frame. Listed at 190, looks thinner than that. Good pitchers frame with physical projection remaining. Athletic movement with long limbs.
Delivery & Mechanics: Pitches from first base side of rubber. Repeats mechanics well from the windup. Herky jerky with the hands. Starts off chest high as he comes set and drops them to the waist before bringing them back to chest level. High 3/4 arm slot. High, but controlled leg kick as he delivers. Head stays still but does go up and down with his motion. High effort delivery with a lot of moving parts but he repeats well. Works at very high tempo. Shorter stride and leg kick from the stretch. Incorporates lower half well.
Fastball: Sits 89-92, has topped out at 97. Pitch has tremendous arm side run, and sink. So much arm side run that it is difficult for him to throw it consistently for strikes. Velocity has recently popped. Was sitting high 80s in high school. He will add strength to frame and hopefully add a tick or three consistently to fastball. Will throw the pitch at the front hip of lefties and get it to catch the plate due to tremendous movement. Most of the time if he misses it's high and out. Attacks up and outside. When he misses its out of the zone. Grade: 50
Curveball: This pitch has been inconsistent going back to his prep days. He was instructed to not throw it much in high school by his father, who is now his agent. Has had blister problems in the past that are tied to this pitch. Working with the organization in developing a new spike grip. Very nice depth and shape to the pitch, but wasn't mixing it in until second time through the order, even in his abbreviated 3-4 inning appearances, and even then it was almost exclusively against right-handers. With more refinement it can be a plus offering. Grade: 55
Changeup: Throws a hard changeup that mimics fastball with arm side fade. Throws it almost exclusively to lefties, but lower in the zone. It's a firm offering at 80-84, and looks like the fastball with similar arm speed. It's an above-average offering. Grade: 55
Control and Command: The movement on his fastball makes it difficult to throw strikes consistently with the pitch. I think he actually commands his curveball the best of the three, but he's still toying with a new grip so that can change. Need to see more. He repeats his delivery well and I think over time he will become a more consistent strike thrower. He will throw fastball for strikes while still missing location. Changeup is meant to be a chase pitch low and below the zone. He throws the curveball up and lets the depth do the work, and that pairs it well with the fastball long term. Control: 45 | Command: 40
Overall: Franklin is a development project, but one that comes with big league bloodlines. Won't be a guy that moves quickly through the minors, but will go level by level making incremental improvements on the way. The development of his curveball is the deciding factor here. Can be a number four starter if the pitch evolves, swing man type if it doesn't. He's essentially a two pitch guy as he rarely throws curve to lefties and change to righties, so he will have to refine command to have sustained success that way.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter
Risk: High
