BALTIMORE – Rays shortstop Dominican Wander Franco has joined Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott, Arky Vaughan and Frank Robinson at a club that until now only consisted of Hall of Fame members.
With a single against the Orioles’ Spenser Watkins in the sixth inning of the game between the Rays and the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards, Franco extended his string of encounters to 29 by basing himself. This is the longest active chain in the Majors, which in itself is impressive. But it’s even more amazing that he’s just 20 years old and especially when you see who the other players who have had a similar streak at that age are.
Among players 20 years of age or older, Franco’s chain is the sixth longest in the history of the National League / American League and the second longest in the history of the LA Sunday, broke the tie with Mickey Mantle, who reached a streak of 28 games basing between June 14 and July 10, 1952. Mantle is the only player with a longer chain before turning 21, as he embarked on 36 games in a row between 5 of September of 1951 and the 4 of May of 1952.
Franco’s run is the longest for any player under the age of 21 since Robinson’s 43 between May 26 and July 7, 1956. Between Franco and Robinson’s record are Ott (streaks of 30 and 33 games between 1928 and 1929), Vaughan (33 games in 32) and Mantle (36). All members of this list to which Franco has joined are in the Hall of Fame.