Wander Franco, MLB's Top Prospect, Set To Make Big League Debut: What To Expect, How To Watch Tonight
Baseball’s top prospect is set to make his Major League debut tonight for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Shortstop Wander Franco, ranked as the best prospect by every expert in the game, received the call to join the big league team on Sunday and will debut tonight against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field.
The game is free to stream on MLB TV and starts at 7:10 p.m. EST.
About Franco: Franco has been the No. 1 prospect in baseball for two years and is considered a generational talent.
MLB.com’s prospect evaluation has his hit tool at an 80, the highest possible rating. Only one other player, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has earned an 80 grade in the 10 years of its existence at MLB Pipeline. At Triple-A Durham, he's batting .315 with six home runs and five stolen bases across 39 games.
Franco was signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2017-2018 international free agent cycle for more than $3.8 million. He has raced through the minor leagues and will be the first player born in 2001 to reach the MLB level. He's a switch-hitter and shows terrific plate discipline, walking more than he strikes out.
Franco’s long-awaited arrival is finally here and it gives all baseball fans something to look forward to.
Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com, and other outlets have ranked him as the best prospect for two years now. His debut is one of the most highly-anticipated in a long time. At such a young age, he will have a chance to compete for batting titles every year while showing above-average power and speed.
Betting On The Rays: For tonight’s game, betters will be intrigued to see Franco’s first taste of major league action. The Rays are -125 on the moneyline according to Draftkings Inc (NASDAQ: DKNG). Recent struggles have taken them from the best record in baseball to 0.5 games behind Boston in the AL East.
With Franco on the roster, he should provide an offensive boost. Tampa averages 4.84 runs per game, the ninth-most in the league.
Tampa Bay is currently +1100 to win the World Series, tied for the sixth-best odds with the Oakland A's and the New York Yankees. They are third to win the American League at +475 and the favorite to win the AL East at +135.
Despite losing ace pitcher Tyler Glasnow to a partially-torn UCL, the Rays still have the talent to make a deep playoff run. Tampa’s pitching staff allows the eighth-fewest runs per game while putting out a top-10 offense.
Wander Franco is on track to become the next big MLB superstar and his spot on a contending team makes him even more exciting to follow.
(Photo: Bryan Green via Wikimedia Commons)
See more from Benzinga
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
