Yankees: Clint Frazier better be up with the big league club to stay

Losing Giancarlo Stanton and now Aaron Judge to the injured list hurts, but the breakout play of Clint Frazier has softened the blow.

Clint Frazier has always been too talented not to succeed. And while some will say that his sample size with the Yankees this season is too small to proclaim him an everyday player, I genuinely believe the 24-year-old will only get better and more confident as he continues to rack up innings of experience.

Fully healed of the post-concussion symptoms that robbed him of most of the 2018 season, Frazier is slashing .339/.358/.661 with nine runs, two doubles, six homers, and 17 RBIs in 17 games (67 plate appearances).

Sure, the kid from Georgia still needs to even out his 14 strikeouts as compared to only three walks, but when you factor in his outfield play, which includes time spent at both corner outfield spots (highlighted by throwing out a runner at home plate on Friday versus the Royals), Frazier is deserving of a long run on the 25-man roster.

Following a three-run home run during the Yankees 7-6, 10th inning victory on Sunday (his second dinger in two days), Frazier told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com that his confidence is at an all-time high.

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“It’s already high when I wake up in the morning,” he added. “But when we’re having results and the team is going out there and we’re fighting through things, hopefully it rubs off on everybody because everyone else’s confidence is rubbing off on me right now, too.”

Tied for the team lead in home runs with Gary Sanchez at six — and leading in RBIs and BA, it’s almost criminal to envision Frazier losing playing time once some of the more established players begin to make their way off the injured list.

But that’s something manager Aaron Boone will have to contemplate on. When Hicks is finally free of his lower back pain, he’ll resume his regular centerfield duties. Judge is likely out 2-to-4 weeks, but there’s no doubt that right field is forever his.

Left field is the one area of opportunity. Though Giancarlo Stanton is a capable fielder with an exceptional arm, penciling him in as the DH allows for Frazier or Brett Gardner to stay in the lineup.

And while Gardner continues to show moments of heroism, especially playing center with Hicks still sidelined, Frazier is the future.

Gardner, who signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract extension this offseason is hitting .227/.326/.467 with 14 runs scored, five homers, 10 RBIs a 9:9 K:BB ratio.

A very appreciated piece to the puzzle, Gardy hit a measly .209 after the All-Star break last season, so only time will tell the type of pace he keeps up at the plate.

Even if all the statistics were the same (which they aren’t), playing the guy with the brighter future simply makes more sense; just so long as he is legitimately in the organizations plans moving forward.

As Boone told Dan Martin of the NY Post, Frazier has exceeded expectation thus far in 2019. Therefore making him a bench player, or worse, sending him back to Triple-A Scranton could be crippling for his Yankee career.

“I think that’s fair,” the manager said. “He’s been great. He’s been an impact player for us. We’ve never questioned the ability or the talent. Last year, he dealt with a lot with the concussion and we still saw glimpses of what we viewed as what would be a good major league hitter. He controls the strike zone and impacts the ball. He’s a dangerous man when he walks up to the plate.”

Though it may be drastic, if Frazier is still excelling at the plate and either of those situations come to fruition, the Yanks would be wise to trade him for whatever they need while his value is at its peak. However, for me, Frazier is precisely where he belongs.