Empire Writes Back
Fansided

Swing-by-Swing, Clint Frazier is Proving That He Belongs

By Alexander Evans

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 08: Clint Frazier
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 08: Clint Frazier /
facebooktwitterreddit
Clint Frazier
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 08: Clint Frazier /

Clint Frazier is turning heads in New York. Each day he continues to get better and better.

Clint Frazier, or “Red Thunder” as he’s come to be known as thanks to his red hair, has provided an unrelenting storm of offense during his first week in the big leagues.

Since his first game last Saturday night in Houston to yesterday afternoon’s game against Milwaukee in the Bronx, Frazier has improved greatly and, although he’ll likely be sent back down

More from Empire Writes Back

to Scranton Wilkes-Barre once Aaron Hicks come off the disabled list after the All-Star break, Frazier has proved that he belongs in the major leagues.

Frazier has put up some very impressive numbers during is first 24 at-bats with the Yankees.

He’s collected seven hits, including a double, single, two triples and three home runs, giving him a respectable .292 average at the halfway point of the 2017 season.

Frazier has driven in eight runs in seven games, and has racked up a quality .875 slugging percentage and a 1.183 OPS over that stretch.

The 22-year-old slugger began his career in the majors in dramatic fashion, smacking a double and a home run in what ended up being a winnable game that was blown by the bullpen in the eighth inning in Houston.

Frazier’s performance in his next three games, the final game in the series against Houston and two of the three games in a home series against Toronto, were anything but successful. He ended up going an abysmal 0-for-9 with two strikeouts, and saw his batting average drop from .500 to .154.

What was most impressive about Frazier’s week was his ability to quickly make adjustments at the plate, and it showed with the series he had against the first place Brewers. He had five hits in 11 at-bats, including seven RBI and two home runs.

Frazier’s best game came on Saturday afternoon, however, as he almost single-handedly helped the Yankees come back from a 3-0 deficit in the first inning.

Frazier went 3-for-4 on the day with a triple and four RBI, including a walk-off, three run laser over the left field wall to give the Yankees a 5-3 win.

He had been lunging in the batter’s box for the past few games and appeared off balance, but had worked on staying patient and keeping his weight back, which he did, although not completely, in that at-bat.

Frazier was a tad late, but his bat speed, which Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has called “legendary,” was able to pick up the slack in that big spot for both himself and the team.

More from New York Yankees

Perhaps most impressive about Frazier’s week was what he did off the field following his walk-off home run.

During a postgame interview in the locker room with the YES Network’s Chris Shearn, Frazier, whose bold personality has worried some in the Yankee organization, answered each question as if he were Aaron Judge.

He told Shearn that the home run was “a really cool one for me, my family and the team to all see” and said that the walk-off shot, the first of his professional career, “was a special one with a special group of guys.”

Frazier was humble, thankful and put emphasis on his teammates and family throughout the interview, and in doing so brushed aside any concerns about him being too self-centered.

Frazier’s humble responses and mentioning of his teammates and family rather than himself shows that he’s developed not only on the field over this past week, but as a person and a teammate that fits the mold that the Yankee organization wants their players to be like.

His play, on the contrary, has spoken quite loudly for itself, and prove that he’s ready for the big stage and belongs in the Bronx permanently.

Home/New York Yankees