Fantasy Baseball: Grant Green or Nick Franklin?

by Ray Guilfoyle on Dec 21, 2025 8:01 AM EST in Events

I am about a day behind in getting the Top Fantasy Shortstop prospect article posted as I went to the Eagles-Giants game on Sunday. With the early departure for tailgating and waiting for traffic to die down before leaving the parking lot, I didn't get a chance to write anything this weekend.

Here is a question I am pondering when looking at the Keeper League shortstop rankings-who would you rather have in long term keeper leagues-Grant Green or Nick Franklin?

Green hit .318-.363-.520 with 20 HRs, 87 RBIs and 9 SBs at High A Stockton in 2010. But, with the power comes alot of strikeouts. Green struck out 117 times and walked only 38 times in 548 at bats last year. His K/BB rate could get worse as he faces more experienced pitching. Plus, one has to ask whether his numbers were padded hitting in the hitter-friendly Cal League.

Franklin hit .283-.354-.486 with 23 HRs, 65 RBIs and 25 SBs with Low A Clinton in the Midwest league in 2010. Like Green, Franklin struck out alot-124 times in 516 at bats, while walking 51 times, and could continue the high whiff rate as he moves up to AA in 2011.

Who would you rather have in long term keeper leagues-Green or Franklin?

Poll

Who would you rather have in keeper leagues-Grant Green or Nick Franklin?

Green

427 votes

Franklin

397 votes

824 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 15 comments | 0 recs |

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Read More: Grant Green (SS - OAK), Nick Franklin (SS - SEA), Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners

Comments

Franklin for sho

I like him better to stick at SS, his power came in a pitchers league not in the Cal League which is notorious for inflating power, and he’s younger.

That being said, I still like Green quite a bit, and have some buyer’s remorse as the Royals chose local kid Aaron Crow over him.

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by RoyalsRetro on Dec 21, 2025 9:51 AM EST reply actions

+1

Franklin’s not just a little bit younger…he’s 4 years younger. And, having been drafted for his “Pedroia-like feel for baseball” rather than physical tools, I’m very bullish on his chances given his promising first season. Either way, both are likely to spend time in AA next year, so we may have a better feel for their relative talents sooner rather than later.

by goyo70 on Dec 21, 2025 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

+1 to that

Shoot, Franklin looks like he could have done what Green did in the Cal League this year. I’m not surprised at the pollresults though (Green winning). Franklin doesn’t get much love around here really.

The major league track record of good 19 year old players in the Midwest league is EXCELLENT

The major league track record of good 22 year old players in the Cal League is NOT SO GOOD.

Not many aroiund here seem to grasp the significance, percentage-wise, of this. The are not close developmentally. Franklin is way, way, way ahead of him.

"If my uniform doesn't get dirty, I haven't done anything in the baseball game." - Rickey Henderson

by casejud on Dec 21, 2025 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

I think...

the fact that this is a fantasy thread, Green receives more accolades due to his power bat at a weak position. I think if this was a reality prospect comparison, Franklin would do better.

by Havok1517 on Dec 21, 2025 3:31 PM EST up reply actions

But...

Franklin had a higher ISO and more HR’s last year…

by lmeyer40 on Dec 21, 2025 5:04 PM EST up reply actions

...

in a much tougher league to hit in. Why is this a tough choice?
I’ll tell you why… because several people on here have decided, for no good reeason, that Franklin doesn’t “really” have the power he showed because some “scout” (in BIG quotes there) said he doesn’t, or he’s not that big, or some other such dumb reason. he’s in a long tradition of little guys with big swings.

"If my uniform doesn't get dirty, I haven't done anything in the baseball game." - Rickey Henderson

by casejud on Dec 21, 2025 11:13 PM EST up reply actions

In a lesser league...

yes.

by Havok1517 on Dec 21, 2025 11:53 PM EST up reply actions

In the Midwest league

a notorious pitcher’s league.

Green did it in the Cal League, a notorious hitting environment, and having seen a few of his homers, he certainly wasn’t tearing the cover off the ball.

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by hero66 on Dec 22, 2025 12:32 AM EST up reply actions

+ Franklin

Should also be noted that Franklin is likely to be jumped to AA this year and is a developing switchhitter.

by Christopher Sharp on Dec 21, 2025 5:07 PM EST reply actions

Green

should be sent to AA as well.

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by Ray Guilfoyle on Dec 21, 2025 8:58 PM EST up reply actions

Franklin is very likely going to end up a lefty instead of a switch hitter

This could both work against his prospect status (he’d no longer be a switch-hitter) or work for his prospect status (it’s very likely he would have hit better than a .494 OPS against lefties this year if he just hit against them lefty).

He only started switch-hitting in his junior year of high school, I believe, so the Mariners may let him stick with it for at least this year.

by Fuckmikereilly on Dec 23, 2025 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

Does anyone voting for Green

want to defend their vote? The comments are drastically in favor of Franklin while Green is ahead in the voting. I would have thought this would be Franklin in a landslide

by MatthewD on Dec 22, 2025 12:53 AM EST reply actions

I voted for Green...

as I think he’ll be the better pro, is less likely to have any regressions, is bigger as well as stronger, and has a higher upside with his bat. I also thinks he stays at SS. John said himself that Green’s peak potential could be Cal Ripken, Jr. if he maxes out which would be pretty great imo. I don’t think Franklin hits for the same type of power in low-A. Say what you want, but there is better talent in High-A than in Low-A no matter where they play. I confident that Green will be a difference maker as a pro and an All-Star if he stays healthy. The jury is still out on Franklin imo.

by Havok1517 on Dec 22, 2025 1:32 AM EST reply actions

as he did in Low-A

Franklin

by Havok1517 on Dec 22, 2025 1:32 AM EST up reply actions

Green's power will most certainly regress now that he's out of the Cal League.

He’s already 23 and hasn’t seen a pitch of AA ball (not to mention that Nick Franklin got a little taste of AA at the end of last year). In the most friendly hitter’s league in all of professional baseball, Green managed an inferior ISO and HR count to Franklin, who is 4 YEARS YOUNGER and coming off a year in which he played in the notoriously pitcher friendly Midwest League. It’s also important to note that Green has never been known for his power. He accumulated 5 less home runs in his 3-year college career than he did last year in Stockton. He can thank the Cal League for that.

by flashbeak on Dec 30, 2025 12:46 AM EST up reply actions