Rays invite Franco to Spring Training camp
The defending American League champs will have a big name in their Spring Training camp, and he isn't even out of his teenage years just yet. The Rays have invited top overall prospect Wander Franco to Major League Spring Training as a non-roster player, the club announced Monday. This will
The defending American League champs will have a big name in their Spring Training camp, and he isn't even out of his teenage years just yet.
The Rays have invited top overall prospect Wander Franco to Major League Spring Training as a non-roster player, the club announced Monday.
This will be Franco's second non-roster invitation of his budding career. He also ended the 2020 season as a member of the playoff player pool during Tampa Bay's march to the World Series, though he never did officially crack the roster at any point during the postseason.
The switch-hitting shortstop, who will turn 20 on March 1, was recently named MLB.com's No. 1 overall prospect for the second consecutive season. Franco has drawn raves for his ability to drive the ball from both sides while showing an advanced approach beyond his years. He was last seen in the Minors in 2019, when he was hitting .327/.398/.487 with nine homers and 18 stolen bases in 114 games between Class A and Class A Advanced. He walked 56 times and struck out in only 35 cases over 495 plate appearances that summer. Only Nick Madrigal (2.8) had a better BB/K ratio than Franco's 1.6 in 2019 among Minor Leaguers with at least 400 PA in 2019.
Franco also played five games for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but was shut down early with what was deemed a biceps issue. After running tests, the Rays believed he would be fully recovered for the spring but kept him from returning to LIDOM play as a precaution.
Franco's power is expected to grow as he matures with many evaluators believing that will be a plus tool in time, if it isn't already. The Dominican Republic native is a decent defender at the six right now but could slide over to second or third as he grows older and loses half a step. No matter his spot on the dirt, he has the skills to be a special hitter at the game's top level and will put that on display this spring in Major League camp.
With Willy Adames ahead of him on the depth chart at shortstop, Franco is likely to start the 2021 season at Triple-A, though it's possible he heads to Double-A where he has still yet to see action following the canceled 2020 Minor League campaign.
As things stand, Rays pitchers and catchers are expected to report to the organization's Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte, Florida on Feb. 17 with position players reporting five days later. That could change if Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association come to an agreement to push back the start of the 2021 season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Tampa Bay also announced that first baseman/outfielder Dalton Kelly, infielder Esteban Quiroz and catcher/outfielder Brett Sullivan received non-roster invites Monday. Right-handed pitchers Adrian De Horta and Yacksel Ríos were signed to Minor League contracts that came with their own invites to Major League camp as well.
Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.
MLB's Home Run Derby X Returning to the DBAP in 2025
Major League Baseball today announced that Home Run Derby X, an exciting baseball format built around power hitting and defensive hustle, will make stops in six U.S. cities from July through September, before culminating with a new two-day playoff format featuring the winning squads from each event vying for a
Gwinnett Defeats Durham 4-1
Eddys Leonard homered twice to lead the Gwinnett Stripers to a 4-1 win over the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon at the DBAP. The game was delayed three hours and 54 minutes before the opening pitch due to rain. When it began, the starting pitchers dominated as has been the
Bulls Walk Off With 4-3 Extra-Inning Win Over Stripers
Eloy Jimenez singled home the winning run off of nine-time all-star Craig Kimbrel to lead the Durham Bulls past the Gwinnett Stripers 4-3 in front of 8,394 fans at the DBAP on Saturday night. The Bulls (24-14) were shutout into the sixth when Bob Seymour drove a game-tying two-out double
Stripers Thwart Late Bulls Rally With 3-2 Win
Garrett Cooper singled in a pair of two-out runs while the Gwinnett Stripers survived a bizarre game-ending play to defeat the Durham Bulls 3-2 at the DBAP on Friday night. Trailing 3-1 in the ninth, the Bulls (23-14) loaded the bases with one out thanks to three walks and scored
Gwinnett Slips By Durham 3-2
Eddys Leonard drilled a two-run homer in the sixth to lead the Gwinnett Stripers past the Durham Bulls 3-2 at the DBAP on Thursday night. Kenny Piper had just given the Bulls (23-13) a 2-1 lead in the fifth, taking out Gwinnett (15-21) starter Hurston Waldrep (W, 3-2). But Luke
Stripers Snap Bulls' Win Streak With 6-5 Triumph
Eddys Leonard broke a ninth inning tie with a sacrifice fly to snap Durham's eight-game winning streak, leading Gwinnett to a 6-5 win at the DBAP on Wednesday night. The Stripers (14-21) loaded the bases against Garrett Acton (L, 2-1) on two singles and a walk before Leonard drove a
Bulls Walk Off With 8th Straight Victory, 6-5
With a seven-game winning streak down to its final strike, the Durham Bulls scored twice with two outs in the ninth, then won the game in the 10th, defeating the Gwinnett Stripers 6-5 on Tuesday afternoon at the DBAP. The game-tying rally started with a leadoff double from Carson Williams.
Seymour, Bulls Sweep 'Shrimp With 11-2 Win
Bob Seymour homered twice to lead the Durham Bulls to a six-game sweep over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 11-2 on Sunday afternoon at the DBAP. Seymour, who homered five times in 26 at-bats during the series, tied the game 2-2 in the third on a solo shot to right, then
Westbrook's Late-Inning Heroics Lead Durham To Sixth Straight Win
Jamie Westbrook drilled a three-run homer for the second straight night, lifting the Durham Bulls past the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 6-4 before a paid attendance of 9,098 at the DBAP on Saturday night. The Bulls won their sixth straight game, and moved into a second place tie with Jacksonville, just
Nine-Run Fourth Propels Bulls To 11-0 Battering of Shrimp
A nine-run fourth inning catapulted the Durham Bulls to a fifth straight win, 11-0 over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Friday night before a paid attendance of 8,928 at the DBAP. As part of Durham's (20-11) nine run inning, the Bulls sent 12 hitters to the plate. Tanner Murray singled
Bulls Blast Past Jumbo Shrimp 7-6
Eloy Jimenez smashed a two-run homer in the last of the eighth to lift the Durham Bulls past first place Jacksonville 7-6 on Wednesday night at the DBAP. The Bulls (18-11) never led the game until Jimenez drilled a 438' blast to left-center against Anderson Pilar (L, 0-1) to put
Montes Mashes Bulls To 3-2 Win Over Jacksonville
Coco Montes homered and drove in two to lead the Durham Bulls past the first-place Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3-2 at the DBAP on Tuesday afternoon. Montes, playing in his first game back with Durham (17-11) after being optioned by Tampa Bay, grounded a single over first base in the fourth
Sounds Slip Past Bulls 8-5
Nashville raced out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, then held off the Durham Bulls 8-5 on Friday night at First Horizon Park. Joe Rock (L, 0-2) surrendered a leadoff homer in the first to Nashville's Daz Cameron, then permitted five runs in the second before being knocked out.
Bulls Split Thursday Twinbill With Sounds
The Durham Bulls scored six times in its last at-bat in game two to tie the game, then scored three times in the eighth to beat the Nashville Sounds 9-7 to earn a doubleheader split at First Horizon Park on Thursday night. After its offense was dormant for 13 innings,
Durham Defeats Nashville 4-2 In Ten
Coco Montes singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to lead the Durham Bulls past the Nashville Sounds 4-2 on Tuesday night at First Horizon Park. After the Bulls (14-8) tied the game with two runs in the eighth, Montes grounded a single to right field to bring
Barrera Blasts Bulls Past RailRiders With 4-3 Walk-Off Win
Bulls catcher Tres Barrera blasted a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give Durham a 4-3 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Sunday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Bulls center fielder Tristan Peters reached base three times with two hits, including his first home run of the
Three Bulls Pitchers Combine To No-Hit RailRiders in 4-0 Win
Joe Boyle, Cole Sulser and Jacob Waguespack combined to throw the seventh no-hitter in Durham Bulls Triple-A franchise history, blanking the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 4-0 before 8,440 fans at the DBAP on Saturday night. Boyle (W, 1-1) worked six hitless frames against Scranton (11-8) in his first start since tossing five-plus
Scranton Defeats Durham 5-0
Three Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the RailRiders defeated the Durham Bulls 5-0 in front of a paid attendance of 8,642 at the DBAP on Friday night. Allan Winans worked three-plus scoreless, with Sean Boyle (W, 2-2) working five shutout frames to lead the RailRiders (11-7) to
Bulls Bash RailRiders 7-1
Tanner Murray and Bob Seymour went back-to-back in the second inning to lead the Durham Bulls past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 7-1 on Thursday night at the DBAP. After scoring twice in the opening inning against RailRiders starter Jake Woodford (L, 0-1), Murray and Seymour each hit their fourth homers of
Bulls Top RailRiders With 4-3 Comeback Win
Jamie Westbrook homered to tie the game, then drew a bases loaded walk to propel the Durham Bulls past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 4-3 at the DBAP on Wednesday night. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, the Bulls (10-7) began their march back against Scranton (10-6). Bob Seymour hit a solo homer
RailRiders Beat Bulls 9-1
Erick Leal tossed one-run ball over 6 1/3 innings to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders past the Durham Bulls 9-1 at the DBAP on Tuesday afternoon. Leal (W, 1-2), who hadn't pitched in affiliated ball since 2019, earned his first Triple-A win by allowing just four hits and one walk. The
Buffalo Defeats Durham 5-3
Rainer Nunez singled home the tie-breaking run in the Buffalo sixth to lift the Bisons past the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon 5-3 at Sahlen Field. The Bulls (9-6) took a 2-0 lead in the third on a two-run homer by Tanner Murray, but were held hitless from the fourth
Bulls Sweep Bisons In Saturday Twinbill
Carson Williams connected on his first Triple-A home run to catapult the Durham Bulls to a doubleheader sweep over the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday afternoon at Sahlen Field. After Durham (9-5) won the opener 4-1 behind a solid start by Logan Workman (W, 2-0) and Tres Barrera home run, Williams
Bisons Best Bulls 8-5
Buffalo scored three times in the eighth to snap a 5-5 tie and defeat the Durham Bulls 8-5 at Sahlen Field on Friday night. After recording the first out of the inning, Bulls reliever Paul Gervase (L, 0-1) permitted the next four batters to reach, including Ali Sanchez, who lashed