Yankees: Clint Frazier did not deserve to be sent down to Triple-A!

Last Sunday the Yankees made the surprising decision to send OF Clint Frazier to Triple-A Scranton to open up a spot on the roster for Edwin Encarnacion. Did he deserve the demotion? 

Most demotions to the minor leagues occur because a player is not performing well. Rather than sit on the bench and waste a valuable roster spot, poor performers are shipped to the minors so they can get more time to work on their hitting and fielding than they would have if they remained in the big leagues. They can receive more focused attention by coaches and try to improve their game in a generally less stressful environment. So, how was Frazier doing at the plate before the Yankees sent him down? Was he one of those players?

In 191 at-bats, he had 11 home runs and 34 RBIs, and his batting average was .283. The 24-year-old had an OBP of .330, a SLG% of .513, and an OPS of .843. These are solid offensive numbers if you ask me.

But maybe he had been doing better before and these numbers actually represent a decline in his performance at the plate? The data reveal the reverse is true. Since entering professional baseball, Frazier’s batting average has increased by 20 points or more every year, his OPS has increased every year, and his SLG% prior to his demotion was the highest it had ever been.

Clearly, his offense wasn’t the reason he was sent down so what was?