Maikel Franco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maikel Franco |
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Franco with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2023
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| Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles – No. 23 | |||
| Third baseman | |||
| Born: August 26, 1992 Azua, Dominican Republic |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 2, 2014, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| NPB: March 30, 2023, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .244 | ||
| Home runs | 130 | ||
| Runs batted in | 467 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .220 | ||
| Home runs | 20 | ||
| Runs batted in | 62 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Maikel Antonio Franco (pronounced MY-kell FRONN-koe; born August 26, 1992) is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He plays third base for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. Before that, he played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. He started with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014.
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Maikel Franco's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Maikel Franco was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. He began his professional baseball career in 2010. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him when he was a young international player.
He started playing for the Gulf Coast Phillies in 2010. He played 52 games that year. In 2011, he played for the Williamsport Crosscutters and Lakewood BlueClaws. He hit three home runs in 71 games. He spent all of 2012 with the Lakewood team. During that season, he hit 14 home runs in 132 games.
In 2013, Franco started with the Clearwater Threshers. He was later promoted to the Reading Fightin Phils. He had a great season, hitting 31 home runs. After the season, he won the Paul Owens Award. This award is given to the best minor league player for the Phillies.
Before the 2014 season, experts like MLB.com and Baseball America said Franco was one of the top 100 young players. He went to spring training with the Phillies. He was trying to earn a spot as the team's starting third baseman. However, he was sent back to the minor leagues. He played for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and hit 16 home runs.
Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies
Franco was called up to the major leagues for the first time on September 2, 2014. He made his first big league appearance against the Atlanta Braves. In his first games in 2014, he did not hit any home runs.
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He started the 2015 season back with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He played very well there. Because of his strong performance, the Phillies called him up on May 15. He became their starting third baseman. He hit his first major league home run on May 17. On June 23, he made Phillies history. He was the first player since 1920 to have two games in a row with 5 RBIs. On August 4, he hit a grand slam. He had a wrist injury in August but returned to play the last few games. In 2015, he had a batting average of .280.
In 2016, Franco hit a career-high 25 home runs. In 2017, he hit 24 home runs.
In 2018, he hit 22 home runs and had 68 RBIs. He was the only player in MLB that year with 20 or more home runs and fewer than 62 strikeouts. This was his third straight season with 20 or more home runs.
On Opening Day in 2019, Franco hit a home run against the Atlanta Braves. He was later sent back to the minor leagues in August. In 2019, he hit 17 home runs and had 46 RBIs for the Phillies. After the season, he became a free agent.
Moving to Other MLB Teams
Kansas City Royals
On December 27, 2019, Franco signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. In the short 2020 season, he played 60 games. He hit eight home runs and had 38 RBIs for the Royals. After the season, he became a free agent again.
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Baltimore Orioles
Franco signed with the Baltimore Orioles on March 16, 2021. He played 104 games for the Orioles that year. He hit 11 home runs and had 47 RBIs. In August, he was released by the Orioles.
Atlanta Braves
After leaving the Orioles, Franco signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves on August 31, 2021. He played 10 games for the Gwinnett Stripers, a minor league team. He became a free agent after the season ended.
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Washington Nationals
On December 12, 2021, Franco signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He was added to their main team roster on April 7, 2022. On August 26, 2022, he was released by the Nationals and became a free agent.
Playing in Japan
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
On December 1, 2022, Maikel Franco signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. This team plays in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. In 95 games for the Eagles, he hit 12 home runs and had 32 RBIs.
He signed another one-year contract with the Rakuten Eagles on December 1, 2023. On May 31, 2024, Franco made history for the Eagles. He hit a special home run that won the game for his team. It was a pinch-hit, walk-off home run, meaning he hit it as a substitute player to win the game in the final moments.
