Rays calling up top prospect Wander Franco for series vs. Red Sox this week

The Tampa Bay Rays are calling up top prospect Wander Franco for their series against the Boston Red Sox, which starts this Tuesday. Franco, 20, is considered to be the No. 1 overall prospect in Major League Baseball, according to MLB.com. Franco primarily plays shortstop but we could see him play elsewhere in the infield for the Rays, who are on a six-game losing streak and have fallen out of first place in the AL East, 0.5 game between the Sox.

The Dominican product was batting .323 with 7 HRs, 35 RBI and a .977 OPS over 38 games for the Durham Bulls, the Rays Triple-A affiliate. Franco should slot in at SS in place of Joey Wendle, who could move to 2B with Brandon Lowe struggling this season. We also may see Franco just get a taste of the Big Leagues and go back down to AAA, but his talent is undeniable. The Rays could just be looking for something (or someone) to spark the offense. Tampa has failed to score more than 2 runs in three of the six straight losses.

Franco has been added to the player pool on ESPN Fantasy Baseball and it appears he isn’t owned at all. If you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, chances are Franco is scooped up already. If you’re in season-long leagues, particularly shallow ones, Franco is a very strong addition with the chance he could hang up the rest of 2021. This is the type of prospect that has Vlad Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., that type of upside.