Mack's Mock Pick 1.17 - OF - Christian Franklin

 

Christian Franklin

 

OF      5-11      185      Arkansas

 

 Mack's spin - 

No one suffered more from the shortened 2020 season than Franklin. He was off and running to an All-American year.

Franklin moved to center and has the speed and arm to stick there.

His only question seems to be the amount of strikeouts he produces.

2020 Arkansas stat line - 16-G, 63-AB, .381/.467/.619, 3-HR 

 

2-19-21 - Top 10 SEC Prospects -

 

8. Christian Franklin, Arkansas, OF

 

The multi-tool Arkansas outfielder will be a player to watch in 2021. Off the field, Franklin seems like a pretty quiet, easy-going guy … aside from his passion for Barry Bonds. Franklin, who grew up in Kansas City, apparently is a big supporter of the Giants legend, despite the steroid issues that besmirch Bonds’s accomplishments. 

 

2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -

 

27. Christian Franklin, OF, Arkansas

 

If Franklin is going to follow in the cleatprints of Heston Kjerstad, his former teammate and the No. 2 pick in 2020, he's going to have to sustain the gains he made last season with his strikeout rate. Franklin punched out in 28 percent of his plate appearances his freshman season, as opposed to just 19 percent in 2020. Franklin has well-above-average raw power, and an arm that should play in right field if he's forced to move from center to a corner as expected. 

 

1-28-21 - ba -

 

Player to know: Christian Franklin, OF.

 

Overshadowed by Kjerstad and Martin in the lineup, Franklin has been productive the last two seasons in his own right. In 75 career games, he’s a .301/.389/.470 hitter, and last year, he did an excellent job sliding over into center field after the departure of Dominic Fletcher. He’ll enter this coming season as the clear focal point of the Arkansas lineup, but he looks ready for the challenge. He has more than enough arm and speed to continue to handle center field ably, and that speed combined with strength at the plate makes him a unique threat as someone who can hit the ball out of the ballpark and swipe bases. The next step for him is to cut down on his strikeouts, and if he can do that, he has SEC player of the year potential. 

 

1-20-21 - D1 Baseball's top 100 College Prospects -

 

19 Christian Franklin OF H Arkansas SEC

 

1-20-21 - prospect live -

 

#19

Toronto Blue Jays

Christian Franklin

OF, Arkansas

 

The Blue Jays and their pursuit for consistency in centerfield is no secret at this point. Between Anthony Alford, Jonathan Davis, Kevin Pillar, Randall Grichuk and even Teoscar Hernandez, Toronto's has tried a lot of names out there and nobody is yet to stick. Christian Franklin solves that problem. He's a plus runner and a plus defender with an above average arm. At the plate, Franklin provides at least average power, though we'd hedge our bets on an above average power bat. The questions surround the hit tool and his strikeout totals. That will be the biggest development in Franklin's profile. Ross Atkins is no stranger to drafting big tools, and Franklin fits that mold. He has some of the loudest batted ball events in college baseball over the past two seasons.

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Christian Franklin

 

Arkansas OF

 

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.6

 

A 5-foot-11, 185-pound outfielder, Franklin made an immediate impact with Arkansas as a freshman in 2019, hitting .274/.361/.413 with an exciting blend of power (six home runs) and speed (12 stolen bases). A full-time lefthander in 2019, Franklin transitioned to center field in 2020 and was off to another loud campaign before the season was cut short. Franklin has a solid toolset across the board with solid arm strength and defensive ability to go along with his power and speed. Scouts like his bat speed and natural strength, but some have questioned the quality of his swing decisions and he did strikeout at a high clip (28%) in his one full collegiate season. Franklin is solidly a Day one prospect now, but how he establishes himself as a center fielder and the progress of his plate discipline over a full season will determine exactly where he goes off the board.

 

1-5-21 - PG - College Pre Season All Americans -

 

Outfield - Christian Franklin, Arkansas

 

Franklin has the potential to be one of the best bats in the SEC and was off to a torrid start to the 2021 season before the cancellation. He’s an excellent athlete who impacts the ball extremely hard on a consistent basis. He’ll play center field and offers tremendous peripheral tools in terms of speed and power potential that give him the potential to be one of the best hitters in the country. Franklin is a game-changing type of prospect who should be in store for a very big season.

  

12-26-20  -  Baseball Prospect Journal Mock Draft 1.0 -

 

18. St. Louis Cardinals: Christian Franklin, OF, Arkansas

 

Franklin is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound right-handed hitter with a balanced setup, quick hands, and solid bat speed at the plate. He has intriguing five-tool potential and offers an exciting mix of power and speed.

  

12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3

 

Oakland Athletics

 

The year is 2032 and the Oakland A’s are still optimistic that Kyler Murray will report to spring training. In all seriousness, that ship sailed the minute Murray won Rookie of the Year with the Arizona Cardinals and they traded for DeAndre Hopkins, so it’s definitely time to start looking for a replacement. If the A’s are still looking college bat, they could go down to Fayetteville and nab Christian Franklin. A year after Heston Kjerstad wowed scouts until the COVID shutdown, Franklin also caught the attention of scouts. His hit tool is still a work in progress as he needs to continue to cut down his strikeouts, but what he lacks in the hitting department he certainly makes up for with plus speed, defense, and arm. If he can continue to show the growth he did in 2020, he has a future as a starting centerfielder, something the A’s hoped to get with Murray. 

 

12-18-20 -

 

college baseball info - top player from each school -

 

6. Arkansas

 

Christian Franklin, OF (2021): Though a bit undersized, Franklin is a high-voltage athlete coming off a strong fall. His hit and power tools have improved drastically. 

 

12-17-20 - mlb -

 

Q - Thoughts on Christian Franklin? How high can he climb?

 

Jim Callis: Arkansas OF Franklin has four plus tools but also some questions about his bat. If he hits in the SEC this spring, could go in the middle of the 1st round. 

 

12-3-20  -  Perfect Game combined their picks for the first two rounds in this mock draft  -

 

13. Philadelphia Phillies | Andrew Painter, RHP, Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.) | (2/42) Christian Franklin, OF, Arkansas

 

Getting the chance to select the top-ranked prep pitcher in any class is something to be thrilled about and the Phillies get a good one with right-hander Andrew Painter here in this mock. His fastball works comfortably in the mid-90s, with flashes of even more at times, while showing polish to a full four-pitch mix to go with projection to even more at a daunting 6-foot-7, 230 pounds. Christian Franklin in the second round gives them an established outfielder from the talent-rich program of Arkansas who has a combination of high contact rates and present power that could carry him through to the big leagues at a pretty quick rate. -Tyler Russo

 

Sakowski’s Take: Painter has established himself as the top prep arm at this point and while prep arms are extremely volatile, there’s a certain degree of polish to his profile and the mid-1st looks like a good value pick this far out. Franklin seems unlikely to get to pick 42 at this point given his toolset and performance, but that’s a monster pick in this hypothetical, and the Phillies would certainly feel great if they were able to nab this type of haul next July.

 

12-2-20 - Joe - @JoeDoyleMiLB

 

We've got a big one for you, folks. How about a little Christian Franklin for your feed. The Arkansas OF is a big deal in the 2021 MLB Draft. He should find his name called very, very early. See why he likens his game to Mr. Mookie Betts... 

 

11-24-20  -  Prospects Worldwide Mock Draft -

 

11.  OF Christian Franklin

 

School: Arkansas | B / T: R / R | Ht: 5’11 | Wt: 185lbs | Age: 21.6

 

Franklin has a ton of athleticism and should have no issues maintaining his Plus (60) Speed moving forward. As well as stick in CF Defensively as a (55) Defender, with Plus (60) Arm strength. Franklin very well may end up Plus out in CF due to his strong jumps and speed that helps run down balls in the gaps and make some highlight reel grabs.

 

Offensively, there is a pretty high ceiling here but there is a bit of development left. He struggles with breaking balls away, with a concerning 42% Miss and Chase rates that has led to a 80:34; K:BB Ratio at Arkansas. Although improvements in the shortened 2020 season (14:19; K:BB Ratio in 75 AB, gives reason for optimism moving forward. All things considered, Franklin still projects for a (50) Hit tool. But this is very likely going to be a bit of a Power over Hit profile. A very well rounded athlete that should continue to develop into a strong performer on both sides of the ball, albeit with a bit of a streaky offensive game at times. 

 

11-19-20 -  draftsite

 

1.14 Christian Franklin OF Arkansas

 

robmorrison14's comments: Giants OF needs some speed and althecism, Franklin brings just that to the table. In a team that is usually fundamentally sound, it's time to add some excitement to their team. Franklin is a top tier athlete who brings a lot of potential to SF

 

11-11-20  -  Prospects Live -

 

 Arkansas outfielder Christian Franklin has drawn rave reviews on his leadership and physicality on the baseball field. He’s looked extremely comfortable in centerfield and figures to remain there as a pro.