Tanner Franklin

William Tanner Franklin (born May 25, 2004) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Amateur career Franklin attended Jefferson County High School in Dandridge, Tennessee. In Franklin's senior season, he was named an all-state, all-region, all-district, and MVP Pitcher. He committed to play college baseball at Kennesaw State University for the Owls.

Franklin saw limited action as a freshman at Kennesaw State, playing in 13 games with two starts on the mound, throwing 11 total innings with 18 strikeouts. As a sophomore in 2024 with the Owls, Franklin tied for the team lead with 21 appearances, posting a 4-1 record and five saves in innings of work while striking out 43 batters. Following the season, he transferred to the University of Tennessee to play for the Volunteers. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 72nd overall pick. Franklin signed with the team for $1.1 million.

Franklin made his professional debut after signing with the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals and also played with the High-A Peoria Chiefs, pitching a total of six innings between the two teams with nine strikeouts. He returned to Peoria to begin the 2026 season. In August, he was promoted to the Springfield Cardinals.