Rookie Wander Franco is in Mickey Mantle Territory: "A Transformative Type of Talent"

After a quick adjustment period, Tampa Bay Rays rookie shortstop Wander Franco has exploded into one of the most feared hitters in the league... And he's still only 20 years old. 

Monday he had the first 4-hit game of his career, and he tied the legendary Mickey Mantle for the 2nd longest on-base streak for a player 20 years or younger. It was his 36th consecutive game reaching base safely. 

Wander Franco extends his on-base streak to 36 games with a triple, tying Mickey Mantle for the most consecutive games reaching base safely for a player age 20 or younger. pic.twitter.com/bAcNzvgexY

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 6, 2021

The only 20-year-old who's ever had a longer on-base streak is Frank Robinson, who had a 43-gamer in 1956. 

And that's not all. Per Baseball-Reference, in the last 50 years, only two other 20-or-under players have had a better WAR than Franco:

Most WAR per 162 games in a season, age-20 or under, last 50 years:
1. Mike Trout, 2012 - 12.2
2. Alex Rodriguez, 1996 - 10.4
3. Wander Franco, 2021 - 8.2

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) September 7, 2021

After coming into the season as baseball's top prospect, Franco has not disappointed. In his past 30 games, he's hitting .339, with 32 runs scored, 22 driven in, and a .943 OPS. In the first week of September, how about a .455 average and a 1.296 OPS? 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic calls Franco a "Fernando Tatis Jr.-Ronald Acuña type of talent, a transformative player." In fact, between Franco's addition to the lineup, and the trade deadline acquisition of Nelson Cruz, the Rays now have the No. 1 offense in the majors. An incredible story. 

Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports