Cubs Prospect Profile: Christian Franklin |
Now that the World Series is officially over, and congrats again to the Texas Rangers for winning their first title, it is time to focus on the rest of the offseason, as free agency is right around the corner. With that will come a flurry of moves by many teams, including the Chicago Cubs. Although things may be slow right now, the Cubs have been linked to several big-name players this offseason as many expect them to be very aggressive to try and land more talent.
Eventually, we will be able to talk about some of the signings and the moves they made, but in the meantime, it is time to check back in on the Cubs system and start breaking down their top 30 prospects. While the wins within the MLB organization haven't been as common as some would like, Jed Hoyer has done a phenomenal job of restocking the farm system to the point where it is top five once again. There is a reason why three teams from the Cubs Minor League system made the playoffs in 2022 and two more this season, with two championships coming in the past two years. There is a boatload of talent within the system, and a lot of it will help the Cubs in the long run. Sure, you have the guys like Kevin Made and DJ Herz, who got traded away to land Jeimer Candelario, and the expectation is that some more of these prospects will be dealt at some point to add more talent. The ones that are not will help this team both at the Minor League level and the MLB level, and OF Christian Franklin could be one of those guys in 2024. A fourth-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Arkansas, Franklin was seen as a steal during that draft as he had the tools to become an excellent hitter for a long time. He was a big reason why the Razorbacks climbed to No. 1 in the rankings that season, as Franklin had some of the best overall tools in the nation and was one of the more consistent run producers. Many felt he had first or second-round potential, but his high swing and miss rate was a concern, hence why he fell to the fourth round. The Cubs will gladly take that, as he hit .237 across 24 games that summer with one homer and eight RBIs. Expecting to make a massive leap in 2022, Franklin's season was cut short before it even started as he tore his Patellar Tendon chasing a fly ball in spring training and was out for the remainder of 2022 and part of 2023. Once Franklin returned to the field in 2023, he was not only one of the more consistent players, but started to show the potential everyone saw in him. Across his 99 games between his brief stop in Rookie Ball before splitting time with South Bend and Tennessee, Franklin put on quite a show, hitting .254 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs. He added 15 doubles, four triples, and 14 stolen bases as his full arsenal was on display. Another part of his game that the Cubs started to like is that he is not only showing more patience with 54 walks, but with 95 strikeouts, the swing and miss issues are improving. If you haven't had the chance to see Franklin play yet, one of the things that stands out is the raw power he has to all fields. His ability to generate some of the more elite bat speeds in the minors leads to impressive exit velocity and, of course, some majestic homers. The contact can be an issue at times, but it has significantly improved as he doesn't go out of the strike zone that often, which helps him increase his walk rate. While his bat is what sets him apart and will ultimately be what teams are taking a look at, he is a better outfielder than most give him credit for, despite having average speed. Franklin knows how to read a ball off the bat and gets great jumps on the ball to track it down. A center fielder in college, Franklin will likely be moving to one of the corner outfield spots as that suits him best. That will come in handy for his strong throwing arm, as he should put that on display much more this season. Not one of the higher-ranked prospects in the Cubs system yet, Franklin made significant strides last season and was one of the more improved players in the entire system. Now, he will look to take the next step in 2024 and cement himself as a potential building block for the MLB roster.
