| Player: Tanner Franklin | |||||||||||
| Org: St. Louis Cardinals | Highest Level: Double A | Position(s): RHP | |||||||||
| Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 240 lbs. | Bats: Right | Throws: Right | ||||||||
| Summary: The fastball is the foundation and it’s a legitimate carrying pitch. Working from an unusually low release point with strong extension, the four-seamer generates a riding shape through the upper portion of the zone that creates a difficult visual plane for hitters — the approach angle has improved meaningfully from earlier evaluations and now grades as one of the more effective individual fastball profiles in the system. The ability to subtly vary the slot height at times gives hitters a second look to account for, and a sinker variant provides a contrasting shape off the same delivery that keeps the fastball attack from becoming one-dimensional. The cutter is the secondary with the most long-term upside — a weapon that has developed sharper cutting action with added velocity, giving it a genuine identity as a weapon against opposite-handed hitters and a reliable complement to the fastball. A sweeper that has taken on more lateral depth and genuine shape in recent looks projects as a plus offering that can attack both platoons, and a changeup with meaningful velocity separation from the fastball adds variety even if it currently operates behind the primary weapons. The overall secondary depth — now featuring four to five distinct shapes deployed in games — represents a meaningful evolution from the college relief profile. The command is what Franklin needs most to hold the rotation path. The trajectory has been meaningfully upward — from well below average earlier in the career to a functional fringe-average grade that has allowed the stuff to play in a starting role — but consistently executing the secondary mix across multiple trips through a lineup is the remaining step that separates the back-end floor from the mid-rotation ceiling. The fastball generates enough swing-and-miss to survive imperfect command, which is what makes the starter development worth continuing to invest in. | |||||||||||
Shaun Kernahan is the founder and lead writer of Three Quarter Slot, where he blends scouting precision with a storyteller’s eye for the human side of the game. Based in Parker, Colorado, he has covered baseball prospects at every level since 2013, delivering in-depth evaluations, draft analysis, and developmental insight. Over the years, he has built Three Quarter Slot into a trusted home for thoughtful prospect coverage, detailed scouting reports, and a grounded look at how talent evolves
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