RHP Tanner Franklin, Peoria Chiefs

🏆 MiLB Player of the Day — Tanner Franklin (Peoria Chiefs)

The right-hander turned in another dominant outing for High-A Peoria, striking out seven over three scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and one walk.

It’s the second straight start in which Franklin has punched out at least seven hitters, giving him 16 strikeouts across his first two appearances of the season.

Early in the year, numbers can lie.

But swing-and-miss tends to tell the truth.

Franklin isn’t just getting outs—he’s missing bats at a rate that jumps off the page. That ability to control at-bats and finish hitters is what separates a solid outing from something worth watching.

More importantly, his performance helped set the tone in a 5–3 win over South Bend, allowing Peoria to dictate the game from the start. In a system where pitching depth continues to develop, outings like this carry weight beyond a single night.

There’s a long way to go, and consistency will ultimately define the season.

But through two starts, Franklin has done more than put up numbers—he’s established a presence.

And right now, that’s enough to earn him the nod as the Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day.