New Phillies should lift weight off Maikel Franco's shoulders
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - It was a popular theory last season - one that was supported by Phillies manager Pete Mackanin - that Maikel Franco was trying to do too much for an offense that did not have much else.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - It was a popular theory last season - one that was supported by Phillies manager Pete Mackanin - that Maikel Franco was trying to do too much for an offense that did not have much else.
Franco's batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage all dipped in a season of mixed results. It seemed that Franco felt the weight of trying to salvage an offense that was one of the worst in baseball.
So consider the third baseman one of the biggest winners of an offseason that brought the Phillies a pair of veteran hitters - Michael Saunders and Howie Kendrick - to slot into the middle of the order with himself and Tommy Joseph.
"I'm hoping they take a lot of weight off his shoulders," Mackanin said Thursday before triple-A Lehigh Valley's banquet at the Sands Casino. "If Kendrick and Saunders have good years, I think the rest of the guys are going to have good years."
The heart of the Phillies lineup on opening day last season was Franco, Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, and Cedric Hunter, who was playing in the majors for the first time in five years. Howard, Ruiz, and Hunter combined for a .695 OPS in 530 at-bats with the Phillies.
Franco, 24, denies that he was pressing at the plate, but it is certainly believable that he was feeling some pressure. The season is still more than two months away, but the Phillies already seem to have a more formidable middle of the order.
"It should be really good," Franco said. "I think we have good talent, good types of players, and everything is going to be good this year."
The stronger middle of the lineup should allow Franco to see better pitches. It will be harder for teams to pitch around him if a legitimate bat is waiting on deck. Franco's discipline at the plate will be key and that is what sent him home this offseason to play in the postseason of the Dominican Republic's winter league. Franco said he worked on staying disciplined, waiting for the right pitches during a 25-game stint.
"Most of the time in 2016, I just went to home plate and didn't have a plan," said Franco, who batted .255 with 25 homers and 88 RBIs. "I would just swing at everything, swing at every pitch. Now I really think about how this year is going to be really important and have to know what I'm doing and show everyone my plate discipline and selection at home plate. Make them throw me my pitch and put good contact on it."
Franco will soon report to spring training, where he will meet Saunders and Kendrick in the clubhouse in Clearwater, Fla. Joseph will be in major-league camp after spending last spring in the minors. It could bring a sense of relief for Franco. He has some help.
"I'm optimistic for a couple reasons," Mackanin said. "Number one, he's identified what he needs to do. Number two, Matt Stairs is the new hitting coach. I think a new voice will be helpful to make those adjustments. Just to hear it from someone else.
"And number three, I think it's because he's at the point in his career when he's been told enough how good he can be. I think that's going to sink in."
@matt_breen