With the New York Yankees going into the 2019 season with an overcrowded outfield, they must instill confidence in the young Clintz Frazier despite the presence of Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury. Both are aging veterans that have seen massive declines in recent years, as Jacoby missed all of 2018.
Frazier is also coming off a stint on the disabled list, but his youth should allow him to move forward toward success. Ongoing concussion symptoms have derailed his development a bit, but trainers have indicated that he should be a full-go come opening day.
Ultimately, the Yankees must allow the speed-swinger to play as much as possible in the beginning of the season, simply because he is in need of the reps and consistency.
What can we expect from Clintz Frazier?
In 54-games in triple-A ball, Frazier slashed .305/.388/.562, displaying reason for optimism at the professional level. In 2017, Clint earned a .231 BA with the Yankees over 142 plate appearances. He recorded 14 RBIs with four-homers and 31 total hits. Frazier isn’t known as a slugger, but rather a base-hit first type. His speed is also intriguing as he recorded four triples in the MLB.
I’m cautiously optimistic that he can provide solid value in the season ahead, but if he can show his defensive qualities off, his influence could go beyond just batting.
r u ready pic.twitter.com/UaoSg9Adnz
— Clint Frazier (@clintfrazier) January 19, 2019
The elders:
The Yankees still have Brett Gardner on a one-year, $7.5 million deal and Jacoby Ellsbury sucking the Yankees’ salary cap dry. Both will be vying for their fair share of the load in 2019, but Aaron Boone must stick to his young guns and further their development. At the end of the day, youth is more important for the prolonged success of the team, and that should be the mantra moving forward.
An outfield consisting of Giancarlo Stanton/Frazier, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge would be one of the more elite groups in the league. Defensive prowess along with solid hitting abilities to compliment their talents and help the team achieve the ultimate goal…No.28.