New York Yankees: Debating Todd Frazier vs Mike Moustakas
By Sean Dyer
Hitting for Average/Getting on Base
Home runs are nice but the Houston Astros won the World Series because they hit for average and got on base.
Todd Frazier is a career .245 hitter which is about the same as Mike Moustakas, a career .251 hitter. The difference is when you look at each player’s last two healthy seasons.
Over the last two seasons (2016 & 2017), Frazier is hitting just .220. Moustakas played just 27 games in 2016 due to injury but between 2015 and 2017, “Moose” hit .278.
Frazier’s last two seasons are his worst average-wise while Moustakas’s last two healthy seasons are his best when it comes to batting average. These are two players trending in opposite directions.
When talking about on-base percentage, Frazier has an edge. The biggest knock on Moustakas over his career and his standout 2017 season is his low OBP. “Moose” had just a .314 OBP last season which, believe it or not, is higher than his career .305 mark.
As for Frazier, he has a career .321 on-base percentage and posted a career-best .344 OBP in 2017 after being able to work a career-high 83 walks.
Frazier may not put the ball in play as often as Moustakas but he can extend at-bats, increase pitch counts, and works walks.
Hitting for Average – Advantage Mike Moustakas
Getting on Base – Advantage Todd Frazier