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Name: Franklin Parra
Born: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Age: 18 (9/13/99)
Height/Weight: 6’1”/185 lbs.
Position: LHP
Bats/Throws: L/L
School: Copiague High School
Born in Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, Franklin Parra moved to the United States when he was in grade school. He did not get into baseball until he was a young teenager, when he was convinced by friends and family that he had the talent to get far. He played middle school baseball in Lindenhurst before moving to Copiague, where he has matured into the ace of the pitching staff at Copiague High School. Not being fluent in English has made Parra’s high school life difficult, but those difficulties have not manifested on the field. In 34 innings this spring, he struck out 74 batters.
Standing 6’1”, Parra has a slender build. He throws from a three-quarters arm angle, with smooth mechanics. Tucking his body in and utilizing a big leg kick, he hides the ball well before pushing off the mound. He creates good downhill angle when he pitches and is able to stay on top of the ball.
Parra’s fastball sits in the high-80s-to-low-90s, generally sitting 88-93. He complements it with a slider, curveball, and changeup. Both the slider and curveball sit in the high-70s-to-low-80s, with the curveball generally sitting at the bottom of that range and the slider sitting at the top of that range. The two pitches still bleed into each other, as the youngster is still developing them, but both show glimpses of being solid pitches, possessing late break. He can command the breaking ball well, working arm side and glove side.
He has a commitment to San Jacinto Community College.