Baseball America No. 10 Nats prospect: Anderson Franco

As spring training draws ever closer, it's time to count down the top 10 Nationals prospects for 2016, as calculated by Baseball America. The top 10 this year consists of a good mix of Latin and American players, pitchers and position players - as you would expect - but also a couple of surprising teenagers.

A pair of the names on the list have already played games with the Nationals at the major league level. You can probably guess those quickly.

But we begin with a talented teenage infield prospect from the Dominican Republic.

No. 10: third baseman Anderson Franco

The 18-year-old Franco is 6-foot-3, 190 lbs. from Bani, Dominican Republic. Last season, he slashed .269/.346/.389 in 57 games for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals and short-season Single-A Auburn. Franco had seven doubles, two triples, four homers and 23 RBIs in 193 at-bats. He struck out only 28 times and walked 21 times.

Baseball America editor-in-chief John Manuel said Franco shows incredible promise because he has already displayed a good all-around game from an early age.

"To me, he is kind of the next breakthrough candidate because you do see the tools," Manuel said. "The tools sound pretty intriguing."

Manuel said Franco arrived with several teams interested in signing him two and a half years ago.

"Anderson Franco got good money ($900,000 in 2013), so teams were after him, teams clearly liked him," Manuel said. "He was a consensus prospect. He wasn't an isolated talent. The Nationals clearly had done their homework. He was young for his signing class, August birthday. He went to the Gulf Coast League last year and he didn't just hold his own, he was one of the better performers in terms of hitting for average and on-base percentage as a regular. I think there are a lot of reasons to be very enthusiastic about him."

As with any young prospect, learning to hit the breaking ball is always a goal. But Manuel said, judging by the way Franco contacts the fastball, he shows great potential.

"He's going to have to do a little bit better identifying spin, but the first thing you want to see a hitter do is hit a good fastball," Manuel confirmed. "Anderson Franco can hit a good fastball. Sounds like he has the athletic ability for third base. He has some arm strength. Shows his footwork and the hands to stay there. I think he's pretty far away. We have him as having a chance to go to full season in 2016.

"To be 18 years old in the South Atlantic League, that is a challenge. If he does that, that would be really impressive right off the bat. More likely he goes to extended spring training."

Manuel said there is a chance Franco could move up to low Single-A Hagerstown if he continues his offensive consistency in Florida early in the season. From there, he could really get rolling.

"I do think Anderson Franco has got a shot in the next year or two to be a real jump-up guy in this organization," Manuel said. "But that's a guy other teams ask about it. I think Franco is a guy that's got a real upside."