France will hold a special place in the hearts of Padres fans as a pupil of Tony Gwynn, when Gwynn served as head coach at San Diego State. France spent three seasons there before he was selected in the 34th round of the 2015 Draft and signed for $100,000 to play with the Padres. His bat worked at San Diego State, and his bat worked instantly in the Minor Leagues as well.
France made the leap from Class A Fort Wayne to Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore during his first full professional season in 2016. He impressed with his ability to reach base - at a .387 clip that year - but he did so without much power. The same held true in '17 when he made the jump to Double-A. But in '18, France's home-run potential - which was always there, given his muscular build and his quick bat - finally took shape. He tied for the system lead with 22 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A.
The 6-foot third baseman is unlikely to wow with his glove (and with Manny Machado in San Diego, he might need to find a different spot or two on the diamond). But France's compact right-handed swing and his savvy at the plate make him an enticing hitter with big league potential. Ultimately, his bat might prove too valuable to ignore. Statcast - Batting Season Pitches Batted Balls Barrels Barrel % Exit Velocity Launch Angle XBA XSLG WOBA XWOBA XWOBACON Hard Hit % K % BB % 2019 801 136 8 5.9 88.9 15.1 .233 .393 .296 .293 .350 41.9 24.4 4.5 ALL 801 136 8 5.9 88.9 15.1 .233 .393 .296 .293 .350 41.9 24.4 4.5 MLB 40553 6.3 87.5 11.2 .251 .412 .317 .318 .371 34.5 21.7 8.3 Transactions Team Date Transaction 08/16/2019 San Diego Padres recalled 3B Ty France from El Paso Chihuahuas. 06/06/2019 San Diego Padres optioned 3B Ty France to El Paso Chihuahuas. 04/24/2019 San Diego Padres recalled Ty France from El Paso Chihuahuas. 03/28/2019 San Diego Padres optioned 3B Ty France to El Paso Chihuahuas. 03/26/2019 San Diego Padres optioned 3B Ty France to El Paso Chihuahuas. 11/20/2018 San Diego Padres selected the contract of Ty France from El Paso Chihuahuas. 08/09/2018 3B Ty France assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. 03/16/2018 3B Ty France assigned to San Diego Padres. 05/12/2017 3B Ty France assigned to San Antonio Missions from Lake Elsinore Storm. 03/16/2017 3B Ty France assigned to San Diego Padres. 06/30/2016 3B Ty France assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from Fort Wayne TinCaps. 04/02/2016 3B Ty France assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Tri-City Dust Devils. 03/23/2016 3B Ty France assigned to San Diego Padres. 06/17/2015 3B Ty France assigned to Tri-City Dust Devils. 06/16/2015 San Diego Padres signed 3B Ty France.
