Source: Top prospect Franco to be in TB player pool
ST. PETERSBURG -- Wander Franco (Princeton 2018), the game’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline, continuously says the goal is to make his Major League debut in 2020, and there’s still a chance of that happening. When the Rays announce their 60-man player pool on Sunday, Franco will be one of
ST. PETERSBURG -- Wander Franco (Princeton 2018), the game’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline, continuously says the goal is to make his Major League debut in 2020, and there’s still a chance of that happening.
When the Rays announce their 60-man player pool on Sunday, Franco will be one of the players on the list, sources told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Franco will be one of the players reporting to Port Charlotte, which is one of the two sites the Rays will be using for "summer camp."
With uncertainty still surrounding the Minor League season, adding Franco to the 60-man pool allows the Rays to continue developing the 19-year-old phenom in the United States. Franco will also be allowed to play against Major League talent during intrasquad games, and Tampa Bay sees great value in that.
Making the Major League club will be difficult for Franco, given the infield talent the Rays have, including shortstop Willy Adames and utility man Brandon Lowe, who was an All-Star in 2019. But even if the decision to add Franco to the player pool is strictly for developmental purposes, it opens the door for him to play his way into the conversation for a spot on the active roster.
And with how advanced Franco’s bat is, that’s always a possibility.
“We’re not going to force anything. We’re not going to throw any additional expectations on him,” Rays general manager Erik Neander said in February. “We just want to make sure that we do right by him, progress him in all aspects of his development as best as we can, and prepare him for one day being a Major League player.”
Since arriving in the United States, all Franco has done is hit. It doesn’t matter the level or the league, he has been able to hit. In 2018, a 17-year-old Franco dominated Rookie ball, slashing .351/.418/.587 with 11 home runs in 61 games. That performance helped him become one of the top prospects in baseball.
In ‘19, Franco solidified himself as the consensus top prospect after hitting .339 with three home runs in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. But perhaps most impressive is that Franco rarely strikes out. In 768 Minor League plate appearances, Franco has struck out just 54 times.
Franco also made his Spring Training debut before the shutdown, connecting on a pair of hits and starting a triple play defensively. The playing time was limited as he served mostly as a reserve, but the talent was evident.
“He has all the tools that people talk about,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash during Spring Training. “He’s fast, he has a great arm. You can see that he has a knack for making contact and a knack to hit them a long way. We haven’t seen all of that yet, but just in his little practice and pregame routine, you can tell that he has a chance to be a special player.”
Aside from Franco, the Rays are also expected to add prospects Shane McClanahan (Princeton 2018) and Ronaldo Hernandez (Princeton 2017) to the 60-man player pool, sources told MLB.com. Hernandez, the Rays’ No. 11 prospect, will be one of the catchers in Port Charlotte and will benefit from continuing his development on defense. Hernandez was added to the 40-man roster in November.
McClanahan, the team’s No. 7 prospect, was one of the most impressive pitchers during the spring. The University of South Florida product flashes 100 mph from the left side and has shown the ability to throw a plus breaking ball. He projects as a starting pitcher, but the Rays could call on McClanahan if they need a left-handed power arm in the bullpen.
Hillcats Score Six Late Runs, Stun Red Sox 10-5
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (22-32) mounted a late comeback effort, but one final surge by the Lynchburg Hillcats (34-22) sealed a 10-5 win for the visitors on Saturday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. With the series tied at two games apiece heading into
Despite Two Late Home Runs, Sox Fall to Lynchburg 8-5 on Friday Night
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (22-31) dropped game four of the series to the Lynchburg Hillcats (33-22), 8-5, on Friday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Coming off Enddy Azocar’s walk-off heroics the night before, the Sox looked to carry that momentum into a packed
Azocar’s Walk-Off Double Gives BeerMongers a 7-6 Win Over Lynchburg
SALEM, Va. — The Salem BeerMongers (22-30) watched a lead slip away late but walked it off in style, as Enddy Azocar delivered a game-winning double to stun the Lynchburg Hillcats (32-22), 7-6, on Thursday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Luis Cohen made his fifth start
Lynchburg Pulls Out Low-Scoring Affair with Sox 2-1
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (21-30) dropped game two of their six-game set with the Lynchburg Hillcats (32-21), falling 2-1 on Wednesday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. After a combined 11 runs and 17 hits in Tuesday's opener, Wednesday flipped the script entirely, just
Enddy Azocar Shines in Home Debut as Sox Slug Past Lynchburg, 8-3 on Tuesday Night
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (21-29) exploded for eight unanswered runs behind a pair of home runs and 12 total hits to take down the Lynchburg Hillcats (31-21), 8-3 on Tuesday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. After trailing 2-0 early, Salem rallied with a
Delmarva Scores Five Unanswered Late to Stun Red Sox 7-5 in Series Finale
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (19-25) watched a 4-1 lead slip away on Sunday afternoon as the Delmarva Shorebirds (18-27) mounted a late rally to score five unanswered runs and take the series finale 7-5 at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. With the comeback win, Delmarva
Red Sox Plate Late Run to Complete Comeback and Beat Delmarva 4-3
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (19-24) returned to the win column in comeback fashion Saturday night, defeating the Delmarva Shorebirds (17-27) by a final score of 4-3 at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. The tightly contested matchup was a stark contrast to Friday’s 12-inning marathon, as
Red Sox Fall in Extra-Inning Affair to Delmarva, 11-5
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (18-24) and Delmarva Shorebirds (17-26) battled through another marathon game on Friday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark, but it was the Shorebirds who emerged victorious in 12 innings, 11-5, to take a 3-1 series lead. After Tuesday’s 11-inning, three-hour-and-36-minute
Salem BeerMongers Snap Losing Skid with 10-3 Win Over Delmarva
SALEM, Va. — The Salem BeerMongers (18-23) picked up their first win of the series against the Delmarva Shorebirds (16-26) on Thursday night, earning a convincing 10-3 victory at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. After allowing 25 runs combined through the first two games of the series, Salem’s
Delmarva Slugs Past Salem 14-4 on Wednesday Night
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (17-23) dropped game two of their six-game series to the Delmarva Shorebirds (16-25) on Wednesday night, falling by a final score of 14-4 at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Delmarva pounced on Salem starter Ben Hansen, who was roughed up in
Sox Drop Extra-Inning Marathon to Delmarva 11-9
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox (17-22) came up just short on Tuesday night, falling to the Delmarva Shorebirds (15-25) in an 11-inning thriller, 11-9, in the series opener at Carilion Clinic Field. The fireworks began early for Delmarva. Leadoff man Braylin Tavera opened the game with a single,
Behind Eight-Run Inning and Two Andruw Musett Homers, Salem Tops Fredericksburg 9-6 in Series Finale
SALEM, Va. — The Salem Red Sox entered Sunday’s game against the Fredericksburg Nationals having already clinched the five-game series. But they were chasing something they hadn’t accomplished yet this season: extending a win streak beyond three games. Powered by an explosive eight-run sixth inning and a pair of homers
Natanael Yuten’s Walk-Off Hit in Extra Lifts Salem to 3-2 Win Over Fredericksburg
SALEM, Va. — Natanael Yuten delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning to lift the Salem Red Sox to a 3-2 extra innings win over the Fredericksburg Nationals on Friday night at Carilion Clinic Field. Yuten’s first-pitch rocket off the right-field wall scored Yosander Asencio from second base and
Blake Aita’s Brilliant Start Helps Salem BeerMongers Defeat the Nationals in a Thriller, 5-4
SALEM, Va. – Blake Aita was nearly untouchable Thursday night, and the Salem BeerMongers needed every bit of his brilliance. The right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning to help the Salem BeerMongers (10-14) hold off a furious Fredericksburg Nationals
Fraymi De Leon’s Late Home Run Lifts Salem Past Fredericksburg, 4-2
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (9-14) got a much-needed lift on Wednesday night thanks to one of their newest players. Fraymi De Leon, assigned to Salem just one day prior, delivered the biggest swing of the game with a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning, helping the
Salem Drops Series Opener to Fredericksburg 9-5
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (8-14) dropped the series opener to the Fredericksburg Nationals (13-9) on Tuesday night, falling 9-5 at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Making his first start of the season, left-hander Shea Sprague delivered a standout performance for Salem. The 2024 13th round
Salem Falls in Series Finale, 5-2 to Lynchburg
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (5-10) dropped an Easter Sunday matchup to the Lynchburg Hillcats (9-6), coming up short 5-2 at Carilion Clinic Field. The loss capped off a six-game series in which Lynchburg took five of six games. Lynchburg’s offense struck early, putting up two runs in
Salem Drops Series to Lynchburg After 13-4 Loss Saturday Night
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (5-9) fell to the Lynchburg Hillcats (8-6) in a lopsided 13-4 loss Saturday night at Carilion Clinic Field. With the win, Lynchburg clinched the six-game series, taking four of the first five games in this edition of the Battle of 460. Despite the
Salem Wins See-Saw Battle with Lynchburg, 9-7
SALEM, Va. – On a sunny Wednesday afternoon at Carilion Clinic Field, the Salem Red Sox (5-6) bounced back from a tough Tuesday loss with a thrilling 9-7 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats (5-6). In a game filled with momentum swings, timely hitting, and heads-up baserunning, the Sox snapped their
Salem Drops High-Scoring Affair to Lynchburg, 10-8
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox (4-6) fell to the Lynchburg Hillcats (5-5), 10–8, in a back-and-forth Tuesday afternoon matchup at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. With strong winds blowing at first pitch, Lynchburg got on the board early with a run in the top of the
Salem Red Sox to Undergo Exciting Rebrand Ahead of the 2026 Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 10th 2025 | Salem Red Sox: (540) 389-3333 | info@salemsox.com Salem Red Sox to Undergo Exciting Rebrand Ahead of the 2026 Season SALEM, VA — A new era of baseball is coming to the Roanoke Valley. The Salem Red Sox, proud Single-A affiliate of the
The Salem Red Sox Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 2nd, 2025 | Salem Red Sox: (540) 389-3333 | info@salemsox.com The Salem Red Sox Announce 2025 Opening Day Roster SALEM, Va. – It’s that time of year again! This Friday, April 4th at 6:35 p.m., the Salem Red Sox will open the 2025 season with
Salem Wins Nail-Biter to Complete Three-Game Sweep of Delmarva 6-5 on Sunday Afternoon
SALEM, Va. – For the first time since the opening weekend of 2022, the Salem Red Sox completed a season-opening sweep, defeating Delmarva 6-5 on Sunday afternoon to move to 3-0 on the young season. As they did in the previous games of the series, Salem's offense wasted no time,
Salem Clinches Opening Weekend Series with a 4-2 Victory Over Delmarva
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox secured the opening weekend series victory against the Delmarva Shorebirds with a 4-2 win on Saturday night at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Salem struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning. Andruw Musett led off with a single, and
Sox Dominate Delmarva in Opening Day Victory, 12-1
SALEM, Va. – The Salem Red Sox powered past the Delmarva Shorebirds, 12-1, in their season opener on Friday night at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Behind dominant pitching and an explosive offensive performance, the Sox kicked off the 2025 season with a statement win. Salem wasted no time getting on the