Maikel Antonio Franco (pronounced MY-kehl FRAHN-koh)… Attended Liceo Azua de Compostela, where he played basketball and baseball… Hobby: Spending time with family and friends… Signed by: Koby Pérez.
2017
Established career highs in games (154), doubles (29), XBH (53), walks (41) and go-ahead RBI (24)... Had a team-high 12 HR that either tied the game or gave the Phillies a lead... T-3rd in the NL in grand slams (2)... Became the first Phillies 3rd baseman to hit 20 or more HR in consecutive seasons since 1997-2001 (Scott Rolen)... Homered in back-to-back games, 4/11-12 vs NYM... Slugged his 2nd & 3rd career grand slams: 4/12 vs NYM (Hansel Robles) and 4/26 vs MIA (Wei-Yin Chen)... Became the fi rst Phillie in franchise history with two grand slams before the end of April... Tied his career high with 4 hits twice: 6/13 at BOS and 7/14 at MIL... Led the club in HR and RBI.
2016
Led the team in RBI (88) & SLG % (.427) and tied for the team lead in HR (25) & XBH (49)...T-9th in the NL in game-winning RBI (13)...Made 147 starts, all at 3rd base...Was the first Phillies 3rd baseman to hit 25 HR in a season since 2001 (Scott Rolen, 25)...Had his 2nd career multi-HR game, 4/22 at MIL...Homered in 4 straight games, 7/3-6, becoming the first Phillie to do so since 2012 (Ryan Howard)...Batted .306 (30-98), 5 2B, 3 HR, 16 RBI in his final 26 games of the season...The Phillies went 16-8 (.667) when he homered.
2015
Among NL rookies, ranked second in SLG % (.497), fifth in AVG (.280), seventh in doubles (22), T-7th in HR (14), eighth in RBI (50) & OBP (.343), T-8th in three-hit games (5) & HBP (4), T-9th in multi-hit games (26) and 10th in XBH (37)...Began the season with Lehigh Valley (AAA) and played in 33 games before being recalled on 5/15...At the time of his promotion, was leading the International League in hits, RBI, doubles, XBH (17) & total bases (76) and ranked second in AVG and 4th in SLG %...Had a 10-game hitting streak with the IronPigs at the time of his promotion (.463, 19-41, 2 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI)...Slugged his first ML triple and HR, 5/17 vs ARI, making him the first Phillie to collect both in the same game since Rick Schu on 9/2/84 vs SF...Became the first rookie with a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later of back-to-back games, 6/2-3, since MIN's Bobby Kielty in 2002...Had a career-best 11-game hitting streak, 6/2-13 (.432, 19-44, 6 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, .841 SLG %)...Was the first Phillies rookie to hit 10 HR in his first 37 games of a season since 1931 (Buzz Arlett - 33 G)...Collected five RBI, 6/22 at NYY, which were the most by a Phillies rookie in a single game since Ryan Howard, 8/10/05 at LAD...Became the youngest Phillie (22 years, 300 days) since 1900 with four hits and two HR in the same game, 6/22 at NYY...Became the first Phillie to post back-to-back five-RBI games since 1920 when the stat first became official, 6/22-23 at NYY; was only the third rookie in ML history with at least five RBI in two straight games...Named NL Rookie of the Month for June: .352 (38-108), 8 2B, 8 HR, 24 RBI, .391 OBP, .648 SLG %; led all NL players in hits (38) during the month...Left the game, 8/11 at ARI, with a left wrist contusion after getting hit by a pitch from Jeremy Hellickson in his first plate appearance...Was placed on the DL on 8/18 (broken left wrist); activated on 10/1...The Phillies went 9-4 (.692) when he homered...40.0 % (37 of 85) of his ML hits were for extra bases (22 2B, 3B, 14 HR)...Named the 3rd-best prospect in the International League by Baseball America following the season...Played in 21 games for Cibao in the Dominican Winter League (.234, 2 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 13 BB)
2014
Played the entire minor league season with Lehigh Valley (AAA) before having his contract selected on 9/2... Named IronPigs Player of the Year... Finished third in the International League in RBI (78), T-4th in games (133), 5th in total bases (223) & at-bats (521), T-6th in doubles (33) and T-10th in hits (134)... Was the youngest position player selected to the All-Star Futures Game at Target Field, his second consecutive selection... Slugged a 2-out, walk-off HR, 8/17 vs Buffalo... Had four HR over a 5-game span, 8/22-26 (.526, 10-19, 2 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R)... Hit for the cycle, 8/24 vs Syracuse; the second cycle in Lehigh Valley history (Michael Taylor - 2009)... Hit a grand slam, 8/26 vs Syracuse, on his 22nd birthday... From July 2 through the end of the minor league season, batted .324 (70-216), 11 HR, 47 RBI, leading the IL in RBI in that span... Had his contract selected on 9/2; made his ML debut that night at ATL and got his first ML RBI (SF)... Collected his first ML hit, 9/5 at WSH (single off Stephen Strasburg)... Made 14 starts for the Phillies: 12 at third base and two at first base... Following the season, was named the third-best prospect in the Phillies minor league system by Baseball America... Played for Cibao of the Dominican Winter League (.272, 8 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI, .335 OBP, .469 SLG %)
2013
Was the Paul Owens Award winner as the best player in the Phillies minor league system...Led all of Minor League Baseball in total bases (308) while finishing T-2nd in XBH (70), 4th in hits, T-7th in HR (31) and T-8th in RBI (103)...Also led all Phillies minor leaguers in AVG (.320), HR and RBI...Began season with Clearwater (A)...Hit 2 HR with a professional-high 7 RBI, 4/26 vs Tampa...Selected as a Florida State League midseason All-Star...Named Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for June (.404 AVG, 3 2B, 10 HR, 26 RBI) and Phillies Minor League Player of the Week twice (5/13-19 & 6/17-23)...Selected to the World roster for MLB Futures Game at Citi Field...Promoted to Reading (AA) on 6/20...Had an 18-game hitting streak between both levels, 6/9-30 (.446, 33-74)...Played in 8 games at 1st base in August...Following the season, was named the top prospect in the Phillies minor league system by Baseball America...Played for Cibao of the Dominican Winter League (.226, 8 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 47 G).
2012
Spent the entire season with Lakewood (A)...Ranked 2nd in the South Atlantic League in AB (503),
3rd in games (132), T-4th in RBI (84), 5th in hits (141) and 6th in total bases (221)...Had a season-high 5 RBI twice: 7/11 vs Hickory & 8/17 at Greensboro...Named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week, 8/27-9/5 (.556, 3 2B, 5 RBI)...Batted .207 (49-237) over 64 games in the 1st half of the season and .346 (92-266) over 68 games in the 2nd half...Following the season, was named the 8th-best prospect in the Phillies minor league system by Baseball America...Appeared in 1 game for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League.
2011
Spent the majority of season with Williamsport (A)...Batted .412 (28-68) with RISP in 54 games for the
Crosscutters...Appeared in 17 games with Lakewood, 8/2-23..Following the season, was named 10th-best prospect in Phillies minor league system by Baseball America.
2010
Began his pro career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies (R)...Participated in Florida Instructional League.
