Career Timeline of Wander Franco: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Wander Franco built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Wander Samuel Franco Aybar, known as "El Patron," is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop playing for the Tampa Bay Rays in MLB. He debuted in 2021 and was named an All-Star in 2023. Franco is recognized as one of baseball's top young talents.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1961: Longest On-Base Streak Since 1961

On August 25, 2021, Franco reached base safely for the 26th consecutive game, the longest streak by an MLB player under 21 years old since 1961.

July 2, 2017: Signed with Tampa Bay Rays

On July 2, 2017, Wander Franco signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization for a signing bonus of $3.85 million.

2018: Professional Debut and Appalachian League Player of the Year

In 2018, Wander Franco made his professional debut with the Princeton Rays. He was named the 2018 Appalachian League Player of the Year after achieving a .374/.445/.636 slash line with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs.

2019: Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Contract Extension

In 2019, Ronald Acuña Jr. signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension, which was later surpassed by Franco's contract.

2019: Prospect Ranking and Promotions

In 2019, Wander Franco was ranked as the fourth-best prospect by Baseball America. He started the season with the Bowling Green Hot Rods and was later promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs on June 25th. He was also named to the All-Star Futures Game and finished the season with a .327/.398/.487 slash line.

2020: Ranked No. 1 Prospect

Prior to the 2020 season, Wander Franco was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball. He did not play in any minor league games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rays added Franco to their MLB postseason player pool, but he did not play in the playoffs.

2021: Spring Training and Triple-A Debut

In 2021, Wander Franco was invited to major league spring training by the Rays but began the season in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls. In 39 games with Durham, he had a .315/.367/.586 slash line with seven home runs and 35 RBIs.

April 22, 2022: Multi-Home Run Game

On April 22, 2022, Wander Franco had his first multi-home run game against the Red Sox, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to achieve this at 21 years and 52 days old.

2022: Julio Rodríguez's Extension

In 2022, Julio Rodríguez's extension surpassed Franco's deal as the largest for any player with less than one year of major league service time.

July 4, 2023: All-Star Game Selection

On July 4, 2023, Wander Franco was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game as a roster replacement. He had a .281 batting average with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs for the season.

August 2023: Administrative Leave

In August 2023, Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave by MLB due to investigations into an alleged relationship with a minor.

2023: Reinstatement to 40-Man Roster

Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Wander Franco was reinstated to the 40-man roster by the Rays.

2023: World Baseball Classic

In 2023, Wander Franco played for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, playing second base due to Willy Adames and Jeremy Peña at shortstop. He hit .222/.417/.222 in 12 plate appearances, leading the team in walks (tied with Juan Soto) with three.

2023: All-Star Selection

In 2023, Wander Franco was selected as an All-Star.

July 2024: Placed on Restricted List

In July 2024, after Wander Franco was formally charged, the Rays requested that he be placed back on the restricted list for failure to report.

June 2025: Conviction Implications

In June 2025, Wander Franco was convicted, making it difficult for him to obtain an American work visa and potentially facing a permanent ban from entering the United States. MLB's investigation is ongoing.