Phillies Maikel Franco: Is he back to form?

Maikel Franco was one the biggest fantasy busts in MLB last season. Now off to a hot start for the Phillies, can fantasy owners trust him as a waiver wire add?

As fantasy owners, we all have those players that have burned us before, and we swear that we will never attempt fate with them again. Maikel Franco was targeted as a potential breakout candidate in 2017, yet fell flat on his face and had a terrible year. Now off to a hot start for the Phillies, can fantasy owners take the plunge yet again?

Franco has long been lauded a potential impact bat for the Phillies. He showed flashes of success in 2015 and 2016, leading owners to salivate at the idea of what he could do next. Yet, 2017 happened and owners got burned hard. He finished with a .230/24 HR/76 RBI/.690 OPS line over 154 games.

Owners need not hear the spiel again about what makes Franco so intriguing. But, all the good of Franco’s game has been masked by a lack to alter his approach at the plate. He swings at everything and pitcher began to exploit that in 2017, and Franco’s numbers dipped as a result.

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Heading into 2018, Franco was off fantasy radars and even going undrafted in most leagues. The Phillies made no bones about their displeasure with him and his swing and forced Franco’s hand in altering his approach. Franco’s K rate has stayed north of 15% since he debuted and that will more than likely not change.

He would be prone to fly open, exposing him to the outside of the plate. His chase rate was an abysmal 31%, and he only saw 40% of pitches in the strike zone in 2017. In the offseason, the Phillies wanted him to keep his front side closed and to cut down his stride. Finally, the message seems to be hitting home.

Over 19 at-bats, Franco is off to a blazing start, posting a .316/2 HR/11 RBI/1.199 OPS line. He has walked three times with only three strikeouts, and his approach looks much more refined. His 11 RBI leads the NL as well, speaking to his cushy lineup spot in a quietly deeper lineup.

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Franco is only owned in about 55% of leagues across all formats, leaving owners the chance to buy low. The talent has always been there, and the power is legit, but it is great to finally see a tangible stance tweak. The Phillies still boast a solid lineup and great home ballpark, so with all things considered, taking the plunge of Maikel Franco is worth the risk.