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New York Yankees: Scouting Report On OF Clint Frazier

By Benjamin Chase

Jul 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; USA outfielder Clint Frazier hits a RBI double in the third inning during the All Star Game futures baseball game at PetCo Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; USA outfielder Clint Frazier hits a RBI double in the third inning during the All Star Game futures baseball game at PetCo Park. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 7, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians outfielder Clint Frazier during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians outfielder Clint Frazier during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Scouting Report

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Body/Basics

Frazier is listed at 6’1 and 190 pounds, and that looks quite accurate. He’s a right-handed hitter and thrower.

Hitting

Frazier has a squat stance that gives you the look that he is going to simply explode out of it, and that’s why so many see a future power grade that’s through the roof for Frazier in spite of hitting less home runs than his teammate Bradley Zimmer along the way. Frazier has a very athletic build in the box, and you can see it in his swing as well.

One of the games I saw of Frazier’s in doing this report, he faced Washington Nationals super prospect Lucas Giolito. The two of them going back and forth was a tremendous battle. Frazier certainly didn’t back down to the incredible velocity of Giolito. He did strike out his first at bat, but it was pretty obvious that it was supposed to be a hit and run on a pitch Frazier couldn’t get to and swung through protecting his runner. The second at bat was also a strikeout, but then you could see Frazier watching the sequencing, and he had noted Giolito’s pitches, and he didn’t chase anything out of the zone. Giolito was forced to pound fastballs, and he eventually left one with too much of the heart of the plate, and Frazier absolutely crushed the ball.

Frazier has a smooth swing path with an uppercut finish. He has extremely good use of his hips and trunk to create explosion through his swing, which generates his power, in spite of not being exactly a “large” guy, like new teammate Aaron Judge. The difference between he and a guy like Judge is that he has such control in his swing that he can still get so much contact on breaking pitches, and he does have a reputation of being a very high-end student of the game, and while it’s confirmation bias for sure, watching Frazier with Giolito certainly showed him learning his opponent within the game, let alone within the season.

Base Running/Fielding

Frazier is not exactly a speed demon, but he has stolen double digits in bases every full season of his minor league career so far for a reason. He has great instincts, and he has enough speed to capitalize on it. So far, he’s really displayed that speed more on the base paths when going from 1st to 3rd or other such things, not exactly stealing bases.

Frazier has been playing primarily center field until this year due to his excellent reads on balls, but he swapped with teammate Bradley Zimmer this year, and I think it’s a great fit for both, as Zimmer has solid reads, but better athleticism and an amazing arm for center field while Frazier has used his premier instincts to become an elite defensive right fielder. Right now he’s playing left field in deference to Aaron Judge, but I think in the end, the Yankees will have to make a choice of whether or not they value Judge’s comfort or the tremendous defense Frazier brings by the time both are in Yankee Stadium. Of course, in New York, left field requires the more athletic outfielder, so perhaps they’re already prepping for that eventuality.

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Next: Future outlook

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