Wander Franco, a victim of a MLB system that exploits impoverished youth, then abandons them
By Brian Patrick Moore June 10, 2026 Wander Franco is a victim of a system that exploits impoverished youth. His lack of formal education, profound youth, and the stark cultural divide between his native Dominican Republic and the United States set the stage for his current dilemma. Recruited at age 12, he left school in the sixth grade to sign a life-changing contract. Neither Major League Baseball nor the Tampa Bay Rays provided him with the necessary legal or cultural educ