Clint Frazier is being called up. Is he up for good? And if so, how does he fit into the outfield mix for the New York Yankees?
The New York Yankees are recalling stud prospect, Clint Frazier. After 39 games in 2017 where he posted an 82 wRC+, the Bat Speed Legend started this season in the minors. That was due in part to a concussion suffered early in spring training. But his first exposure to major league pitching showed us that Red Thunder had a few things to work on. So seeing him optioned in March was likely going to happen one way or the other. Long term there is a question between Frazier and Estevan Florial. In the short term, it appears that Clint Frazier may be the answer.
After a few games to get his feet wet in high-A, the former number 5 overall pick was promoted to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He absolutely raked there. A 218 wRC+ with 3 HR over 12 games showed that he was ready for his next opportunity at the major league level. And Aaron Hicks hitting to the tune of an 8 percent below league average has opened the door.
What can Yankees fans expect this time around?
Fangraphs rates Clint Frazier’s hit tool as 40/50 and his in-game power as 50/60. His raw power is 60/60, so he is expected to make the most of that. That’s not surprising given how strong his forearms and wrists are. Tapping into his raw power doesn’t require perfect mechanics. He’s generating a big part of that power from the elbows down. That’s a rare gift to have.
His power has presented mostly to the pull side which makes him a bit like a right-handed Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi is also known for powerful forearms and wrists and also hits for power almost exclusively to the pull side. Here are Clint Frazier’s combined hit charts from AAA and the majors in 2017:
When he’s not taking the ball over the wall, he sprays it around the field pretty well. However, 14 of his 16 home runs last year went to left field. And 13 of those are dead pull home runs. That should suit him just fine in Yankee Stadium where it is just 318 feet down the line.
Can he play in center field?
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
In 2017 he played exclusively in the corners all season, regardless of level. However, in 2016 he played 21 games in center between AA and AAA. Before that, he spent 109 games in Cleveland’s system playing center in 2015, and 111 in 2014.
He wouldn’t be the secure defender Aaron Hicks is out there, but as part of a four-man rotation through the outfield and DH with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Brett Gardner, he can indeed hold his own as the secondary center fielder behind Gardner.
He’s also more than capable of holding up a corner spot while one of the two behemoth’s needs a breather at DH or a day off. Adding Frazier to the mix, given his offensive upside, and while the team can take advantage of the versatile Gardner being around and still playing well makes all the sense in the world.
Is he up for good?
That will depend on how well he hits. If he’s truly ready, and his AAA slash line of .362/.423/.702 suggests he is; the Clint Frazier era is about to begin in earnest. Of course, the bar isn’t so high considering Aaron Hicks is suddenly looking a whole lot more like the guy he was before coming to New York.
Next: MLB Power Rankings: Yanks and everyone else
That guy is a 5th outfielder, and a pretty darned good one, but not a threat to keep even a slightly above league average Red Thunder off the field.
Considering how much higher than “slightly above league average” the ceiling is, expect to see the Yankees giving Clint Frazier every opportunity to prove himself.