Wander Franco biography: 13 things about baseball player born in Bani, Dominican Republic

Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr. is a Dominican professional baseball player also known as El Patron. He is 1 year older than his wife Rachelly Paulino Aristy.

In 2021, Franco and Paulino got married. She gave birth to their first son Wander Samuel Franco Jr. in 2018 and their second son in 2022.

Wander Sr. was born in Bani, Dominican Republic to Wander Franco and Nancy Aybar. Here are 13 more things about Wander Sr:

1. On September 10, 2016, his mother took to Facebook to greet Paulino, who was celebrating her 15th birthday. His mother referred to Paulino as her daughter-in-law.
2. On July 2, 2017, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, a Major League Baseball team in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, United States.
3. In 2018, he made his professional baseball debut with the Princeton Rays, a Minor League Baseball team in Princeton, West Virginia, USA. He was was named the 2018 Appalachian League Player of the Year.
4. On June 25, 2019, he was promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs, a Minor League Baseball team in Port Charlotte, Florida, USA.
5. On June 22, 2021, he was formally selected to the Tampa Bay Rays’ 40-man roster and he made his Major League Baseball debut.
6. On November 23, 2021, he and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to an 11-year contract extension worth $182 million with a club option of $25 million for a 12th year. 
7. He represented the Dominican Republic at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which was held from March 8-21, 2023 in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S.
8. In May 2023, he purchased a five-bedroom house worth $1.5 million in Tampa, Florida.
9. On July 4, 2023, he was selected to his first Major League Baseball All-Star game. 
10. On August 13, 2023, he denied on Instagram Live the allegations that he had a relationship with a minor. On August 14, 2023, he and the Tampa Bay Rays mutually agreed that he would be placed on the restricted list. On August 22, 2023, the Major League Baseball placed him on administrative leave.
11. On December 28, 2023, he defied a summons issued by the Dominican Republic Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents.
12. On January 1, 2024, he was arrested in the Dominican Republic.
13. On March 1, 2024, he will turn 23.