So “Wanderful”

Baseball cards are getting more and more expensive. However, there’s still something accessible for everyone. Topps Opening Day is an entry-level product for anyone who likes baseball. Each year, I bought some packs of Topps Opening Day as part of my collections. This year, nothing has changed.

I bought some packs of 2022 Topps Opening Day and tried to get some cool rookie cards. And, yes. I found a Wander Franco rookie card.

 

Wander Franco was a top prospect and he was called up last June. He made an instant impact in the first game of his career. He went 2-for-4, including a 3-run home run. In total, Franco played 70 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last year. He batted .288/.347/.463 with 7 home runs and 39 RBI. Additionally, he stole 2 bases. Wander Franco finished 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Franco’s teammate Randy Arozarena won the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year award.

Franco’s first season in the majors was quite impressive and many people believe that he will be the new face of the franchise. Well, when it comes to the face of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise, we definitely can’t forget Evan Longoria, who’s currently playing for the Giants.

Evan Longoria made his MLB debut on April 12, 2008. He didn’t crush a home run in the first game of his career, however, he did make an instant impact in the first season with the Rays. Longoria played 122 games in 2008 and hit .272/.343/.531 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Most importantly, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous vote.

Looking at Longoria’s stats, it seems that his performance in the first season with the Rays was actually better than Wander Franco’s performance in the rookie season. But, let’s just look at the first 70 games.

First 70 Games in the Rays
Player	H	HR	RBI	SB	BA	OBP
Longoria	69	15	47	3	.271	.341
Franco	81	7	39	2	.288	.347

Wander Franco had 81 hits last season and, back in 2008, Longoria had 69 hits after the first 70 games of his career. Meanwhile, Wander Franco drew 24 walks last year and he had a .347 OBP. Longoria drew 30 walks over the first 70 games and his OBP was .341. Franco did collect more hits, but there’s no huge difference in on-base percentage. The major difference is that Longoria blasted 15 home runs in the first 70 games, but Wander Franco only had 7 home runs in 2021. Additionally, Franco was struck out only 37 times last year. However, Longoria was struck out 67 times after the first 70 games.

Longoria signed a long-term contract with the Rays just 6 games into his major league career. After playing 70 games in his rookie season, Wander Franco and the Rays agreed to a record-breaking extension and it’s an 11-year contract. Evan Longoria currently ranks first in the Rays franchise history in several categories, including home runs (261), doubles (338), RBI (892), runs scored (780) and walks (569). If Wander stays healthy, 11 years should be long enough for him to set some new franchise records. The 2022 season is going to be Wander Franco’s first full season, it will surely be interesting to see how he will perform this year.