Cubs RHP prospect Kohl Franklin struck out six over five scoreless innings Wednesday for High-A South Bend.
Franklin, 22, gave up just a hit but did need to work around three free passes. The right-hander has been a bit of a disaster -- at least statistically -- in 2022 with a 6.75 ERA, 42/25 K/BB ratio and 1.68 WHIP over 40 innings. It’s also worth pointing out that this is a player who didn’t get a chance to throw pitches in games since 2019 because of the pandemic along with shoulder/oblique injuries. When healthy, Franklin shows three pitches that have graded plus, and he’s generally around the strike zone with them. He’s a tough recommend as a fantasy option now, but there’s still upside in Franklin’s arm. He could be a mid-rotation starter when he’s done developing.
