SS Nick Franklin, the top Mariners hitting prospect, was 0-for-his-last-6 coming into todays game against the Chattanooga Lookouts and that simply will not stand. After all, it was only on the third of June that he went 4-for-4 with a HR, his second in as many days.
Franklin picked up the good stick again today and went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Jackson Generals 7-4 win over the Lookouts. The switch-hitting shortstop with speed and power maintains his high average, OBP, and slugging percentage and seems ready for his promotion as soon as a spot opens up in Tacoma. There’s not much more he can learn in AA.
(Insert alcoholic joke.)
He’s completed his twelve steps! Okay, looks like I inserted it for you that’s what she said. (I’m really testing my boundaries of what I can say today.)
Centerfielder Denny Almonte went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double and is now hitting .289. Almonte always displayed power but the former 2nd round pick has always struck out like strikeouts were the last gallon of milk at a Russian supermarket. He struck out 161 times in 128 games last season but has “only” K’d 59 times in 57 games this season.
Brandon Maurer picked up the win for Jackson with seven strikeouts in eight innings but the one major problem with Maurer is that his name isn’t Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker, or James Paxton. But that seems like a simple fix at a courthouse.
That’s all folks!