Top 10 MLB breakout candidates in 2017

7. Maikel Franco

Still just 24, Maikel Franco is already entering his fourth season in the big leagues. So far, he has hit 39 home runs and driven in 117 in 248 games. Franco has some jaw-dropping power in his bat, with plenty of potential to add even more muscle.

There are not many hitters in baseball who can do that to an Aroldis Chapman fastball. Franco has solid contact skills for a power hitter, and struck out only 106 times in 152 games last year. Where he struggles is deciding which pitches to swing at. The third baseman is an equal-opportunity swinger, with little patience. For his career, Franco has swung at over 50 percent of all pitches he has seen, and over 33 percent of pitches outside the strike zone.

For Franco, improving his walk rate is not the biggest concern. Some hitters just do not wait around to walk. Franco saw only 3.57 pitches per plate appearance last season, 12th-lowest in the league. Swinging early in the count is not a problem (Robinson Cano saw fewer pitches than Franco), but those swings must be used on strikes. Without much protection in the Philadelphia lineup last year, there was not much reason for pitchers to challenge Franco.

The Phillies upgraded their offense over the winter by trading for Howie Kendrick and signing Michael Saunders. Those two veterans will take some of the pressure off Franco. Removing the black hole of strikeouts that Ryan Howard devolved into will also help. With a tad more plate discipline and support from his teammates, Franco should be looking at a 30-homer, 100-RBI season in 2017.