New York Yankees: Does Clint Frazier’s offense compensate for lack of defense?

The New York Yankees have enjoyed the fruit-filled basket of Clint Frazier this season…offensively. Defensively, however, he has committed three errors, one of which allowed three runs against the Boston Red Sox in what would have completed an impressive three-game sweep.

Frazier single-handedly lost the game for the Yankees, and the question that needs to be asked is:

Does Frazier’s offensive outweigh his defense?

The Yankees’ young outfielder has taken on the role of Aaron Judge since he suffered an oblique injury. Frazier’s offense has been stellar for the most part, hitting .272 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. He’s been a key cog in the batting order as of late, but his defense has caused some issues.

Looking into his offense, Frazier has clearly seen the ball far better this season than in the past. He has enjoyed a near 3% boost in making contact with pitches inside the strike zone compared to 2018 (67.1 –> 71% Z-Swing). In a similar sample size (2017 &2019), Frazier has earned a much higher wRC – increasing a third of his 2019 total (23) when compared to 2017 (15).

Defensively, he saw a few key statistics take a turn for the worse – RngR (Range runs above average) jumped from -0.1 last year to -3.0. In addition, his fielding percentage is a putrid .930.

Losing Judge’s bat is significant, but losing his arm strength and defensive abilities make the right field spot irreplaceable. Clint has done his best so far, but struggling through a string of mishaps in the field has caused us to rethink the Yankees’ strategy. Is there room for him once Judge returns to the lineup, or does he fall back into a reserve role?

At this point in the season, Frazier’s value comes from his hitting and there’s no question about it. He will have plenty of opportunities to prove his worth on defense, but the Yankees simply cannot live without his current hitting. Therefore, his offense ‘does’ compensate for his lack of defense.