Maikel Franco’s Sophomore Slump, and How It Will Be Fixed
In recent memory Philadelphia sports have been dominated by the emergence of young talent. The Eagles’ spotlight is flashed on Carson Wentz; the Sixers have solidified a foundation of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jahlil Okafor to be teamed up with a flurry of future draft picks and fresh talent; on the ice the Flyers have much to be excited about in developing players like Ivan Provorov. Amongst all these potential superstars, the player who may have the highest ceiling plays at Citizens Bank Park: Maikel Franco.
Franco, who just completed his first full season in the major leagues, had many ups and downs. He struggled to settle into a groove at the plate consistently, and his struggles led to a drop in his hitting line. In 2015, when Franco made 335 plate appearances, he hit for a .280 batting average and a .343 on-base percentage, with a .497 slugging percentage. He also hit 14 homers and drove in 50 runs. His power numbers were not at projection level, but his ability to get on base and hit for a quality average was cause for major excitement throughout the organization and fan base.
However, 2016 was a different story. Franco’s line for this past season is as follows: .255/.306/.427. Maikel’s power numbers were just about equivalent to those of 2015. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 88, but he had 630 plate appearances to do so. His batting average hovered in the .240-.260 range for most of the season, and this stat, along with the fact that Franco hit just 7 of his homers post-all star break, suggests that consistency would be the main aspect of Franco’s game requiring improvement.
There were games in which Maikel’s approach to the plate would bring about visions of a seasoned veteran. He would apply patience in his at-bats, sometimes working full counts before knocking base hits to all parts of the field. Plenty of times he would be able to force himself to wait on a curveball before crushing it into the left field seats. But there were also those times in which it was painful to watch Franco hit. In baseball, few things are more frustrating than watching your team’s cleanup hitter swing on a first-pitch fastball 6 inches over his head, leading to a pop-up in foul territory to the first base side. Too many times to count he would swing on a 3-0 pitch in the dirt; occasionally, fans would cower at the sight of Franco’s unnecessarily hard swing on a 2-strike pitch, which would result in both his helmet falling off and a dreary walk back to the dugout.
Maikel Franco has shown that his power ability is there, but he has simply been unable to consistently apply it into every game. So, how can he be expected to improve an aspect on his game that desperately needs assistance? Matt Stairs.
Last week, the Phillies announced that former-Phil and color commentator Matt Stairs would become the team’s next hitting coach. Stairs, who was a key component of the 2008 championship team, is primarily known throughout Philly as a pinch hitter. However, many forget that he spent much of his career as an everyday player; he finished his career with a .356 on-base percentage. One of his main assignments as hitting coach will be to morph Maikel Franco into the dominant threat at the plate that he is capable of becoming.
2017 will be a significant year for both Stairs and Franco. In the coach’s case, his work will be judged from Day 1, and immediate results will be expected from him. Maikel will be given a longer leash in terms of showing immediate impact, but his third year will be crucial to his place in the team’s plans for the future, especially a team such as the Phillies, which are in a frenzied search for a reliable 3-hole hitter.
Photo by Editosaurus (via Wikimedia Commons)
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Phillies