A case for Todd Frazier, part 2

Consider this part two of the case for Todd Frazier. You can see part one right Here

Social media is full of opinions of him. Most that are against him point to his .213 batting average as the main reason he is not a good fit for the 2018 New York Mets.

But does that tell the whole story?

Frazier’s best quality is that he knows what he is good at, and what he’s not. And Frazier is good at hitting the fastball. He will wait and look for the fastball. If he doesn’t get it, he a mature enough to take a walk.

When Frazier does get a fastball, he is not looking to punch a single to right field. He looks to drive the pitch. To do damage. Off fastballs, he had 28 extra base hits in 2017. Compared to 27 singles.

Frazier is trading in singles for walks, sacrificing batting average, in order to keep his power numbers up there. He looks to drive the pitch, and do damage with each and every time.

His best asset offensively is driving the ball hard and in the air. His 20 degree average launch angle shows his focus on lifting the ball. Sometimes that means he misses and strikes out.

Sometimes his pitch doesn’t come, and he’s mature enough to take that walk down to first base. Frazier has doubled his walks from the 2015 season to the 2017 campaign. He is also top ten in Major League Baseball in pitchers per at bat last season. Command of the strike zone is a vital skill for a successful major league player.

He is also one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. Frazier was top five in all of baseball in defensive runs saved last season at third.

During last years play off push with the New York Yankees, you could also see Frazier’s leadership and spark. His teammates all seemed to genuinely love playing with him.

Todd Frazier is not a guy you build around. Not a guy you want as your primary run producer or as your number one star.

But as a third or fourth offensive threat, he is a big thumbs up.