Julio Franco

First Baseman1B

Free Agent

2024 Stats

AVG

.000

RBI

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RBI

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for Julio Franco in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man No

Height 6'1"

Weight 210

DOB 8/23/1958

Born San Pedro de Macoris, DR

College None

Drafted 1978 PHI

1BFree Agent

May 3, 2008

Franco officially announced his retirement from baseball, the Associated Press reports.

ANALYSIS
He'll retire with a record that may never be broken after becoming the oldest player to hit a home run in the major leagues with a long ball against Randy Johnson in May of 2007 as a 47-year-old. Franco's career ends with a .298 average, 2,586 hits and 173 home runs in 23 seasons in the majors with eight different teams.

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Past Fantasy Outlooks

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2003

Franco will be 49 at the start of next season and says he wants to play until he's 50, but it looks like he may finally have run out of gas. He hit just .222 with a .610 OPS, although he did have a .793 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Unless he wants to spend most of the season in the minors in the hopes of a September callup for some token at-bats after he turns 50 in August, father time may have finally caught the ageless wonder.

Mets GM Omar Minaya signed Franco to a two-year deal for his leadership skills as much as for his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Franco lived up to his end from the leadership perspective but he hit just .227 in 66 AB against LHP. With Carlos Delgado entrenched at first base, look for Franco's playing time to once again be limited.

Franco says he wants to play until age 50, and at age 47 it looks possible. Franco still hits left-handed pitching well (.814 OPS) and has surprising power. As a pinch hitter off the bench or as part of a platoon he can be effective. If he plays more, he's likely to get hurt. And one of these years he's finally going to run out of gas.

Franco surprised by reaching 320 AB (thanks in part to a month missed by platoon-mate Adam LaRoche) and by hitting an amazing .309 at age 45. It's hard to think that he'll get that kind of opportunity again or be able to stay healthy for that long, but he's proven he can still hit in the right situations at his advanced age.

Franco's stats are amazing for a 45-year old, and he could be a useful pinch-hitter with the Braves. He had a .978 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2003, which could keep him in a platoon. But it's very unlikely he'll have more than 200 at bats in any scenario and at his age, he's a very risky pick.

Franco's stats are amazing for a 44-year old, and he could find a major-league job coming off the bench somewhere, but don't make any big bets he'll keep it up.

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1BFree Agent

October 30, 2007

Franco filed for free agency on Monday, the Braves' official site reports.