Healthy and a year wiser, Wander ready to rock again

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- In his own words and in those of his coaches and manager, Wander Franco “learned a lot” in 2022. Coming off a terrific rookie campaign in 2021, last season brought the first real brush of professional adversity for Franco, who debuted as one of the most celebrated prospects in baseball history, found immediate success and inked a record nine-figure contract before his 21st birthday.

Then, 2022 happened. Franco did not play poorly, and when he was on the field, flashes of the dynamic player he can be were plain to see. But he was hardly on the field, his sophomore season repeatedly interrupted by injuries that limited Franco to 83 games.

Now back in Rays camp early and healthy, he's ready to put those questions about his health behind him.

“I worked hard this offseason to hopefully have a good, full year,” Franco said through an interpreter. "Trying to not be injured, trying to avoid all that. That’s why I worked as hard as I did."

Franco could not have entered 2022 with more hype, after hitting .288 with an .810 OPS and 3.5 WAR as a 20-year-old phenom and signing an 11-year, $182 million extension the following winter. He then looked like every bit of that player for the first month and a half, before nagging hamstring and quad issues began cutting into his production. He missed most of June dealing with those lower-half ailments, and then lost two more months in the second half to a broken hamate bone. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s offense struggled without Franco and Brandon Lowe, who also dealt with injuries.

That the Rays didn’t add a bat this winter has a lot to do with how much better they think their lineup will be simply having Franco in it more often. Franco said he took it upon himself this offseason to ensure that happens as much as possible, altering his diet and workouts with an eye toward flexibility and remaining durable.

"I don't think anybody gave him a direct message: ‘Hey, you need to do this with your preparation,'" manager Kevin Cash said. "We’re all going to continue to learn about Wander, but I’m confident saying he is highly motivated. He's got a lot of pride, and he wants to be the best player he can be as quickly as he can be. And I think he recognized some things last year that made it more challenging than not, just because of the wear and tear of playing every day, the turf, all those things. I think he made some calculated decisions to try to adjust off of, and come in more prepared and equipped for this season."

Said Franco: "I’m the same weight, but I think I’m more toned than I was last year. I’m very different, but very ready."

Franco said he also learned some ways to cope with the mental aspect of dealing with injuries at the big league level. Among those? “To keep my head up and keep a positive mind."

“It was very frustrating,” he added. “Sometimes, you need to trust in God to let it go. That’s my goal this year, to hopefully last [physically] a little bit better.”

“Players get frustrated when they get hurt and feel like they can't be themselves, which he wasn't," Cash said. "And then at times, he literally couldn't contribute because he wasn't able to perform. He tried really hard, and it just wasn't happening for him. But just talking to him and watching him in the cage now, there are a lot of smiles. There is a lot of high energy.”

Franco is also thrilled to play in the upcoming World Baseball Classic for the loaded Dominican Republic squad, which will be managed by Rays bench coach Rodney Linares. Franco said it was an easy decision to participate, calling it “a great joy" to represent his home country.

"I always wanted to go to the Classic, regardless of the injuries I had,” Franco said. “My mindset was to always go to the Classic.”

Perhaps the tournament will serve as a reminder of the enormous impact a healthy Franco can have. In 153 career games, he’s totaled 6.1 WAR. Merely matching that this season would make the 22-year-old an American League Most Valuable Player candidate.

“Whatever we thought of him two years ago or last year, I’m only higher on him now,” Cash said.