Coppin State University baseball pitching coach Wayne Franklin has been selected as the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Scouting Association’s 2026 recipient of the “Outstanding Achievement in Pro Baseball” award.
Franklin will be honored at the association’s annual banquet on Nov. 14 in Joppa, Maryland. The award recognizes a professional playing career that spanned seven Major League Baseball seasons from 2000 through 2006.
Wayne Franklin’s Major League Baseball Career
Franklin played for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees during his MLB career. He made his major league debut with the Houston Astros on July 24, 2000, against the Cincinnati Reds, and Ken Griffey, Jr. grounded out as the first batter Franklin faced.
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Franklin in the 36th round of the 1996 MLB Draft before the Houston Astros acquired him in the 1999 Rule Five Draft. Franklin made the Astros’ opening day roster in 2001 and became a starter for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, when he finished 2-1 with a 2.62 ERA.
Franklin won 10 games and struck out 116 batters in 2003. The San Francisco Giants acquired him in 2004 and converted him back to a reliever, while he joined the New York Yankees in 2005 and the Braves in 2006, making 25 combined appearances.
Franklin’s Coaching Background
Franklin was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and raised in North East, Maryland. He played collegiately at UMBC before spending three years at the International and Independent League levels after his MLB career.
Franklin began his collegiate coaching career at San Francisco State U. He later managed the San Diego Jets, a collegiate summer league team, in 2019 and led the team to a league championship.
In 2021, Franklin managed the Lake Mills 94’s of the Dairyland Collegiate League, which lost in the league championship. He has also worked as a pitching coach at Menlo College and Holy Names University.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Franklin’s selection recognizes a professional baseball career that included seven MLB seasons and later work in collegiate coaching and summer-league management. His Maryland connections include his upbringing in North East and his collegiate career at UMBC.
Franklin will be honored at the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Scouting Association’s annual banquet on Nov. 14 in Joppa, Maryland, alongside Hall of Famer John Stockstill, Coach ML Morgan and other honorees.
Source: Original report
