• March 19, 2024

Maikel Franco Compared to Albert Pujols & Approved By Mike Schmidt

MaikelFranco5I prefer to give players more time to play before throwing superlatives at them, but the Phillies are hurling some major expectations at Maikel Franco after a month or so in the Majors.  If I were running the Phillies organization, I would have made sure that people in the organization wouldn’t be mentioning Franco is the same breath as Albert Pujols.

I know there’s not much exciting to talk about regarding the Phillies in the near future, except for the rookie third baseman.  The young, power hitter has created a stir in Major League baseball when he put together back-to-back five RBI games at Yankee Stadium.  He’s been on a tear throughout the month of June and pounded out three RBI’s last night in a 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals in the second game of a doubleheader .

As you would expect, he has caught the eye of Phillies third baseman and Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt. 

He has a presence in the batter’s box which we generally don’t see a lot of from players coming up from the minor leagues,” Schmidt told Philly.com’s Dick Jerardi. “He’s tough in the batter’s box. Last couple of days, he’s struggling a little bit after the big series in New York . . . He can feel that he’s jumping out at the ball a little bit. I know all about that, did it my whole career.

“You saw how wide his stance was [Saturday]. That’s a great thing to see that a kid can feel things, he can sense when he’s a little out of whack. Other than him, I don’t see a lot of our young hitters visibly making changes on the fly in the batter’s box.”

Schmidt approves of the youngster as a hitter and as an infielder.

Phillies starting pitcher Kevin Correia went even further, than just approving of Franco.  He compared him to one of the best hitters in the history of the game, future Hall of Famer, Albert Pujols.

“He’s got similarities to Pujols with his mechanics,” the 13-year major-league pitcher mentioned when asked his early impressions of the Phillies’ rookie third baseman. Correia obviously had not seen the Yankees’ broadcast.

“Obviously, they’re both kind of similar in build. But it’s more, I think, the approach as far as they really let the ball travel and keep their hands close to their body,” Correia said a day later when asked to expand on the comparison.

“[Franco] can hit the ball to all fields with all power. You see him [when] he gets a pitch away, he hits a ball the other way, gets a base hit [and] scores a couple runs. He had a home run with two strikes where he kind of shortened up and hit it out, and then 3-0 he hit a good pitch where he was able to get big on it and really hit it far. It’s just similar to Pujols’ approach, I think.”

Franco is “willing to go where the pitch is thrown, and there’s not a lot of guys who can do that with that much power,” Correia said. “He doesn’t have to consume his approach with trying to hit home runs.

“I think similar to Pujols, they’re just up there with a good approach and trying to hit the ball hard, and it results in a lot of home runs. So, it’s a little different talent than most home run hitters you see, where that’s what they’re trying to do.”

GCOBB

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mhenski
mhenski
June 29, 2015 9:41 am

Franco loves smashing dingers

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 11:24 am

Big news conference today, they will be introducing Mcphail and Middleton becomes the official face of ownership.

mhenski
mhenski
June 29, 2015 12:24 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Changes nothing imo

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 12:39 pm
Reply to  mhenski

Changes everything… Middleton is more aggressive than Monty…not as loyal etc. will be an entirely new dynamic in the FO. Already seeing some of it, Phil’s a lock to sign a huge 16 year old Dominican for $4 million…

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2015 12:42 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Glad to hear and couldn’t happen quick enough
What is Middleton’s background as far as his Professional Career goes?
Montgomery was into Banking,I believe, which probably goes with his more
steady and more cautious approach mindset.. ..

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 12:52 pm
Reply to  paulman

Middleton was heir to a cigar company… Sold it for multiple billions . I think he is still in his 50’s(I think). He apparently butted heads with Monty over the direction of the club, need to modernize etc… Been a power struggle for like 3 yeRs… A big reason for them being stagnant

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2015 1:09 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

I read something about the guy a couple years back but couldn’t recall his background.. Maybe he can help the Phils make a better Cuban Prospect Connection with his Cigar Buddies… Ha
Montgomery also has had Health Issues I believe too which make him even more hands-off and kinda of let Amaro run the show without a real strategy and hence the lack of direction and leadership

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 1:20 pm
Reply to  paulman

According to Eskin it was the exact opposite. Monty tied him up a bit.. Middleton will be an involved, out front type of owner, majority partner… Now you will see them be more dynamic, Red Sox like …

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 1:22 pm
Reply to  paulman

Don’t forget lots of good cigars in Dominican!

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 3:16 pm

Just listened to press conference. Absolutely a different perspective. I don’t know Dave Montgomery background, but I don’t think he was a baseball guy that came up through the game . Macphsil is a former GM etc, I’m not sure he even needs a GM. At minimum this puts a good baseball mind over the GM

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2015 3:38 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Dave Montgomery is from the Banking/Financial World and basically a Sports Fan who became the Spokesman/Face of the Ownership Group after Paul Owens passed some years ago and Dallas Green was no longer interested..
Andy McPhail grew up in Baseball as his Father, Hall of Famer, Lee McPhail was a Long-time Baseball Executive who was GM of the Yankees & Orioles
Andy’s Grandfather, Larry McPhail, was also a Long-Term Baseball Executive for the Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers,Yankees and was a real innovator with Night Baseball, Posting Batting Averages and Stats, Pension Plans, Airline Travel and was a real charismatic leader back in his Day of the 30’s & 40’s for Baseball…

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 4:12 pm
Reply to  paulman

You totally missed the bill Giles era . The Paul Owens era was when the carpenters owned the phillies. Even Dallas green was during carpenters. This ownership group has had Giles and Monty as president.,.

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2015 6:06 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Yes Giles is who i meant, Not Paul Owens who has been gone for quite some time… Got Giles/Gillick mixed up… Either way , maybe this new Front Office of
Middleton and McPhail will help steer this Organization back to relevance and Winning Baseball..
McPhail had strong Runs in Minnesota during the late 80’s-mid 90’s and had some Good Teams with the Cubs in the late 90’s – early 2000’s until bombing with the Orioles in the mid/late 2007-2011 where he had some bad luck in Free-Agent Signings, Injuries and Coaches…

haveacigar
haveacigar
June 29, 2015 6:22 pm
Reply to  paulman

he actually made some nice trades and picks with the orioles–
here is my hope (speaking of the orioles) that Asche can be a Markakis– if he can hit 275 with 17 HR, it looks like Franco is the real deal, get two solid players (starters) for hamels, a mid level rotation + a bull pen piece for (pap, Harang, Howard) and draft mike trout circa 2016 next june… add that to crawford, quinn and the starters in the minors– get the right manager– who knows.

paulman
paulman
June 29, 2015 6:34 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

McPhail has a keen eye for Talent and as I mentioned had some Good Personnel Moves with Orioles that just didn’t pan out but helped developed their Minor Leagues in the mid 2000’s that now are contributing to the Orioles..He was the GM in Minnesota from 1984 to about 1995 where they were a model team of consistency and strong fundamentally almost every Season and almost made a winner out of the Cubbies until Bartrum got that Foul Ball in the NLCS and all hell broke loose afterwards…
Then Cubs Owner (Wrigley Family) went to a no spend zone as they had financial issues, family divorce, etc,etc and McPhail was stuck with his hands tied…