Texas Rangers catching prospect Noah Franklin has been promoted to Low-A Hickory after a strong ACL season.
Over 31 games, the 19-year-old hit .363 with a 1.053 OPS, numbers that would stand out from a first-round pick, let alone someone taken in the back half of the draft. That performance earned him the promotion to Low-A Hickory.
Franklin's ACL line breaks down like this:
.363 AVG / .426 OBP / .627 SLG / 1.053 OPS 5 HR / 24 RBI / 8 BB / 3 SB
Franklin definitely has power. His first professional home run traveled 482 feet. In games where exit velocity data was tracked, he posted a max of 107.8 mph, the kind of number that gets you noticed regardless of what round you were drafted in.
Behind the plate, Franklin held his own too, throwing out 25 % of would be base-stealers. It's a solid mark for a young catcher still adjusting to professional base runners.
Franklin is a right-handed hitter and thrower, listed at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds. He turns 20 in September.
Jumping is a step up in competition for the backstop. But for a 17th-round pick, this is about as strong a first impression as you can make and the Rangers clearly agree.
I would expect other players to be moved to Hickory or Hub City in the coming days.
