With Motivation, Maikel Franco the Driving Force Behind Phillies

In his first full major-league season, Maikel Franco wasn’t an All-Star, nothing to be ashamed of at just 23 years old.
 
Still, it eats at Franco a bit knowing a stronger first half could have done it.
 
“I really think about it,” he said Saturday after driving in the eventual game-winning run of the Phillies' 4-2 win over the Mets (see game story). “Sometimes, I can’t control it because even for me, I want to be in the All-Star Game every single year but I can’t control that.”
 
What Franco can control is finishing the season with All-Star numbers — and that’s his motivation.
 
“I mean, yeah,” Franco said, “right now, the first half has passed already so we have to focus on the second half — do everything you can do, put everything on the floor and try to work hard every single day and do something for your team every single day.”
 
Franco has been doing that by putting runs on the scoreboard, a dimension missing much of this season for an offensive-starved team like the rebuilding Phillies. However, the runs are coming of late because of Franco, who has 17 RBIs in his last 15 games. Those 17 RBIs are tied for second most in the National League since June 27 to only the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy and Danny Espinosa.
 
It’s no coincidence the Phillies are 11-4 since June 27.
 
“He looks like he’s staying on the ball better, he’s fouling off some tough pitches to right field,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “He’s just not flying off the ball like he had been. He’s getting results.”
 
Franco on Saturday night boosted his batting average with runners in scoring position to .325 by sending an RBI single to left field, breaking a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning.
 
“I don’t think he was trying to hit a home run that last time up,” Mackanin said. “He was trying to make solid contact and he got a big hit for us.”
 
Suddenly, Franco, who was hitting .243 through the first three months of the season, is up to .265 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs.
 
He’s starting to look like the player from last season.
 
“He’s close,” Mackanin said. “He doesn’t look exactly like that guy, but he’s getting closer and I think he’s enjoying it because he’s really upbeat and positive right now. He’s real close.
 
“He’s hitting for power, he’s going to have a good year. I think he’s only going to get better as the season goes along.”
 
Ryan Howard feels Franco has surpassed 2015 form, a season in which the third baseman slashed .280/.343/.497 with 14 homers and 50 RBIs in 80 games. Franco would have been up for National League Rookie of the Year if a pitch didn’t break fracture his wrist in August.
 
“I think he’s even better than what he was last year,” Howard said. “Getting that experience, every year you get that little bit more of experience and it helps make you a little bit better. I think he’s in a really good, comfortable spot right now.”
 
With Franco driving in runs, the Phillies are finding wins — and maybe they’ll find themselves having fun in the wild-card race if he keeps it up.
 
“I’m going to stay on it, I’m going to stay positive,” Franco said. “Every at-bat is important, every at-bat is really important, especially for me and my team.”