Rays' Wander Franco: Average dips below Mendoza Line
Franco went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday, pushing his average down to .197 across his first 66 big-league plate appearances.
The rookie phenom is naturally still experiencing the ups and downs inherent in a player's first foray against major-league pitching, with Franco closing out the first half of the season by striking out in six of nine plate appearances over the last two games. Despite the occasional struggles, Franco has certainly showed glimpses of his expansive upside at the plate, recently putting together an eight-game hitting streak during which he struck out at a modest 11.8 percent clip. Considering his prodigious talent, fantasy managers should have plenty to look forward to in the second half of the campaign as Franco continues to master the intricacies of big-league arms.
