Nicholas Edward Franklin (born March 2, 1991) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

second baseman and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

in the first round, 27th pick overall, of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He attended

Lake Brantley High School Lake Brantley High School (LBHS) is located in Altamonte Springs, Florida, a suburban community approximately 13 miles (20 km) north of Orlando. It is a public high school serving grade levels 9–12 in Seminole County, FL, operated by Semin ...

where he won numerous awards, including being named the player of the year by the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' in 2009. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Amateur career

In 2007 and 2008, Franklin played for the USA Baseball Youth National Team, which played in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Franklin attended

. He took two months off of baseball after his

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

season to weight train. On April 16, 2009 ''

'' named Franklin the "Boy Athlete of the Week". Franklin was named the "''Orlando Sentinel'' Baseball Player of the Year" in 2009 after he batted .538 with 11

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

. During his time in high school, a professional baseball

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

compared Franklin's skills to that of a "

switch-hitting In baseball, a switch hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed, usually right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers. Characteristics Right-handed batters generally hit better aga ...

Michael Young".

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

Franklin was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. Before being drafted, Franklin committed to play baseball at

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

. On August 16, 2009, the Mariners signed Franklin to a contract with a $1.28 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. Franklin began his professional career in 2009, splitting the season between the rookie-league

AZL Mariners The Arizona Complex League Mariners are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The team is com ...

of the

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it f ...

, and the Class-A Short-Season

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is affiliated with the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seating capacity o ...

of the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Pacific Northwest, Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Maj ...

. In the Arizona league, Franklin batted .302 with six runs, 13

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, two doubles, one home run, and four

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBIs) in 10 games. With the AquaSox, Franklin batted .400 with four runs, eight hits, two doubles, one

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

, and two RBIs in six games. Before the 2010 season, ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' named Franklin the seventh-best prospect in the Mariners' organization. Franklin began the 2010 season with the Class-A

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Lea ...

of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. On April 11, Franklin hit two home runs in the same game. Also in that game, Franklin was a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

shy of

hitting for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League Ba ...

. With the LumberKings that year, Franklin has batted .281 with 89 runs, 144 hits, 22 doubles, seven triples, 23 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 25

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

. He also played one game with the Double-A

West Tenn Diamond Jaxx The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mar ...

in 2010, getting two hits in three

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...

s. His 2010 season with the LumberKings features prominently in the book ''Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere'', by Lucas Mann. At the end of the season, ''Baseball American'' named him as the sixth best prospect in the Midwest League. Franklin made his major league debut for the Seattle Mariners on May 27, 2013. He recorded his first career hit on May 29, 2013. On May 30, 2013, Franklin hit his first two career home runs. He set a club record, being the quickest player to have a two-homer game in just his fourth game. The previous record was held by former Mariner Jose Cruz Jr. who had a two-homer game in his sixth game as a rookie in 1997. Franklin hit his first major-league grand slam on July 21, 2013, in the second inning versus

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

pitcher

Jordan Lyles Jordan Horton Lyles (born October 19, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. He previously played for the Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Ran ...

Tampa Bay Rays

On July 31, 2014, Franklin was traded, along with left-hander

Drew Smyly Todd Andrew Smyly (born June 13, 1989), nicknamed "Big Shooter", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Ra ...

to the

in a three team deal that sent David Price to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

and Austin Jackson to the

. Franklin finished the 2016 season with a .270 batting average. He was designated for assignment on April 1, 2017.

Milwaukee Brewers

Franklin was claimed off waivers by the

on April 5, 2017. On June 27, he was designated for assignment by the Brewers.

Los Angeles Angels

Franklin was traded to the

on June 30, 2017. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.

Second stint with the Brewers

On February 15, 2018, Franklin signed a minor league contract with the

. Franklin was called up in early May but after two at bats, he missed the entire season with a quad injury. He elected free agency on October 23, 2018.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On February 6, 2019, Franklin signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. He was released on June 28, 2019.

Second stint with the Angels

On July 5, 2019, Franklin signed a minor league deal with the

and was assigned to the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...

. He became a free agent on November 4, 2019.

Kansas City Monarchs

On April 27, 2021, Frankin signed with the

Kansas City Monarchs The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...

of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. He appeared in just 4 games, going 4-for-14, before being placed on the inactive list.

Sioux City Explorers

On August 28, 2021, Franklin was traded to the

Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Si ...

of the

for the reversionary rights to RHP Nick Belzer and future considerations.

Kane County Cougars

On August 5, 2022, Franklin was traded to the

Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are an independent professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their ho ...

of the

for 2 players to be named later and cash.

Scouting report

Jim Street, reporter for

MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...

, calls Franklin a "versatile" player who can play the

infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...

, the

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball and ...

, and even pitch. Jonathan Mayo, also of MLB.com, said that Franklin has the potential for

power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

, and also noted that " ranklin'sgot wiry strength and decent speed". MLB.com rated Franklin a "solid defender" and his arm strength "average". Seattle Mariners'

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Jack Zduriencik John A. “Jack” Zduriencik (; born January 11, 1951) is an American radio broadcaster and former professional baseball executive, scout, and player. He currently works as a radio host for KDKA-FM, which is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates ...

and scouting director Tom McNamara were reportedly impressed by Franklin's dedication to the game of baseball. On January 25, 2011 MLB.com revealed their top 50 best prospects in baseball list, in which Franklin was listed as the 38th best prospect in Major League Baseball. With the Mariners, Franklin was a relative rarity among big league players in using a

batting helmet A batting helmet is worn by batters in the game of baseball or softball. It is meant to protect the batter's head from errant pitches thrown by the pitcher. A batter who is " hit by pitch," due to an inadvertent wild pitch or by intent, may be ...

with two ear flaps (others to use this sort of helmet include

Shane Victorino Shane Patrick Victorino (born November 30, 1980), nicknamed "The Flyin' Hawaiian", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodger ...

and

Shin-Soo Choo Shin-Soo Choo (; ; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the SSG Landers of the KBO League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Ci ...

). Since joining the Rays he has started using a more conventional one-flap helmet.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Nick 1991 births Living people Baseball players from Florida Lake Brantley High School alumni Major League Baseball second basemen People from Altamonte Springs, Florida Sportspeople from Sanford, Florida Seattle Mariners players Tampa Bay Rays players Milwaukee Brewers players Los Angeles Angels players Arizona League Mariners players Everett AquaSox players Clinton LumberKings players West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players High Desert Mavericks players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Tacoma Rainiers players Durham Bulls players Peoria Javelinas players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Salt Lake Bees players Biloxi Shuckers players Indianapolis Indians players Bradenton Marauders players Arizona League Brewers players Carolina Mudcats players