Drafted in the 23rd round (642nd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 1992.
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Franklin went 20-0 in two junior college seasons before signing with the Mariners as a draft-and-follow in 1993. He moved quickly his first couple of years, finishing the '94 campaign at Triple-A Calgary. He slowed down considerably after that, however, and has four Triple-A seasons under his belt with just six major league appearances, all in 1999. He also has a gold medal, having pitched for Team USA in the Sydney Olympics last September. Franklin led the tournament with three wins and didn't allow a hit or run in 8 1/3 innings of relief. He doesn't throw especially hard, but what he lacks in velocity he makes up for with variety. His arsenal includes six pitches: two- and four-seam fastballs, splitter, slider, curveball and changeup. In Sydney, Franklin worked around 93 mph coming out of the bullpen, though his fastball tops out around 90 as a starter. This could be the year Franklin finally breaks through the Four-A ceiling and gets a shot as a long man in Seattle.
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