New York Yankees: Left Field Position Shaking Out – Clint Frazier Not Involved

New York Yankees, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Cameron Maybin
Sep 7, 2018; Seattle, WA, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks (31, left), right fielder Andrew McCutchen (26, middle) and left fielder Brett Gardner (11) react following a 4-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

At the start of spring training, it was expected that outfielder Clint Frazier would earn a starting role in the New York Yankees outfield. Thus far, it seems as if that narrative has been shut down by manager Aaron Boone.

Frazier is expected to start in Triple-A while he regains his form and adapts to the professional game. During Grapefruit League play, Clint has three hits in 14 at-bats, including a single, two doubles, and two walks. He also struck out four times.

The Yankees need to give Clint Frazier time:

It will take some time for Frazier to pick up where he left off and progress to a point where the Yankees can trust him at the top level. For the time being, it seems as if Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton will split time in left field. Gardner is 2-for-5 at the plate with two homers and a walk. Stanton has one hit in nine at-bats with one RBI and three walks. He has struck out twice, a seemingly regular occurrence for the slugger.

It’s clear that the outfield will consist regularly of Aaron Hicks at center and Aaron Judge in right field. I predict that Gardner and Stanton will split time in left, as Giancarlo will DH a fair amount.

Gardner represents the better defensive option with his speed and familiarity with the position. My only concern is Gardy’s offensive production which has fallen off in recent years. Last season in the AL Wild Card game against the Athletics, Boone chose Andrew McCutchen over the veteran in left field, which was a telling indication of his decline.

The New York Yankees will need to trust Gardner despite his lack of production:

Overall, Gardner slashed .236/.322/.368 over 609 plate appearances in 2018. His .690 OPS ranked last in the MLB among left fielders with a minimum of 500 played appearances.

That will be the big question heading into the season – can Garnder be consistent at the plate in what is likely his final season as a Yankee? Frazier simply isn’t ready to take on a starting role just yet, so the team will have to either commit to Stanton as a full-time fielder or elect to utilize their resilient leader.