The Seedlings To Stars 2012 Top 100 Prospects, #41: Nick Franklin

Name: Nick Franklin
DOB: 3/2/91
Organization: Mariners
Position: Second base/Shortstop
Notable 2011 Stats: .275/.356/.411 with 10 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 56/31 K/BB, and 13-for-14 SB in 64 games with High Desert (High-A);
.325/.371/.482 with 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 18/6 K/BB, and 5-for-8 SB in 21 games with Jackson (AA);
.281/.352/.418 with 13 2B, 7 3B, 7 HR, 80/37 K/BB, and 18-for-22 SB in 88 games total*

*includes a rather poor rehab stint with the AZL Mariners, which saw Franklin go 1-for-12 with 6 K in 3 games

Why He’s This High: Franklin shocked everyone with his 23-HR outburst in 2010, and while he failed to duplicate that sort of power production in 2011, he was able to get all the way to Double-A and hit well there–no small feat for a 20-year-old middle infielder.

A lanky switch-hitter, Franklin has some of every skill. His approach is solid given his age, and he shouldn’t have any problems getting on base at a solid or better clip in the majors once he matures. He may not hit 23 homers again, but we should be careful before writing that off as a fluke–Franklin missed a lot of time in 2011 with a bunch of freak injuries, including a bout with mono and a broken jaw from getting hit with a teammate’s bat. He only made it into 85 games outside of his rehab assignment, after all; we’re still looking at a 15-25 homer player.

Franklin is a solid defensive second baseman who can also steal a few bases.

Why He’s This Low: Franklin was initially known for his defense when he was drafted, and while his offensive output has been an extremely pleasant surprise, his defense has been less than advertised. Originally billed as a lock to remain at shortstop, Franklin fielded just .933 at the position in 2011, and there’s a lot of talk that he’s going to permanently end up at second base. He can stick there, but the position switch does make his bat, while good, stand out less than it would at shortstop.

Franklin still strikes out too much for a guy without top-shelf power. He whiffed 56 times in 64 games in High Desert, but his 31 walks mostly made up for that; however, he kept basically the same strikeout rate in Double-A with his walks cut nearly in half.

Speaking of High Desert, it’s worth noting that it’s an extremely friendly place to play, to the point where Franklin’s .275/.356/.411 line there comes as a bit of a disappointment. Two things redeem him–first, his age, and second, his nice end to the year after the promotion–but that performance, already rather unimpressive for a “top prospect,” certainly didn’t do anything to push him up the list.

Conclusions: Franklin rates as one of the top middle infield prospects in baseball, as he played very solidly in all facets of the game against competition that was often three or four years older. Still, though, he didn’t take much of a step forward in any sense except to show that 2010 wasn’t a bigtime fluke. Tightening up his defense to the point where he could stick at short would do wonders. If everything breaks right, Franklin could be a Ben Zobrist-esque player.

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