Oakland Athletics top prospect Franklin Barreto hit a home run for his first big-league hit in his MLB debut Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.
Barreto was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2012 before he was flipped to the Athletics as part of the Josh Donaldson trade in 2014.
The talented infielder was the key piece in the package of prospects that also included former third baseman turned unsigned second baseman Brett Lawrie and prospects Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin.
Barreto, 21, was named the A’s top prospect by MLB Pipeline this season and the No. 44 prospect in all of baseball. He has put together an enouraging first half with the triple-A Nashville Sounders, slugging eight home runs and compiling a .754 OPS.
According to MLB Pipeline, Barreto is considered “a dynamic hitter who projects to hit for both average and power.”
He was inserted into the lineup when Jed Lowrie was scratched and is starting at second base, batting seventh. Fellow rookies Matt Olson and Jaycob Brugman also hit their first career home runs in Saturday’s game.
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