Yankees: 3 biggest surprises of wild 2020 NYY season

1. Clint Frazier Taking the Starting Gig and Running With It

Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier is here to stay.

Before 2020, there was no room for Clint Frazier without a catastrophic streak of injuries ahead of him.

Now? Frazier is an essential piece of this roster, and all it took was the door to creak open just a bit after a series of soft-tissue maladies.

Many of us Frazier defenders were cautiously optimistic about the kid taking a starting job and running with it, sure, but there were more than enough red flags to keep us wary.

His advancing age. His dissipating prospect status. His defensive misadventures.

Turns out, a final tweak to his stance this offseason has allowed him to utilize his ridiculous bat speed to the fullest extent, and his time in the minors spent “working on his defense” has absolutely paid off. He’s a different man out there, attacking his routes confidently and making the routine plays.

Frazier was named the starting left fielder officially this week following Aaron Judge’s return, and the humble kid said it made him rightfully emotional, sneaking a smile out beneath his facemask.

It’s a shame that facemasks have become a part of the game in 2020, though, and we can’t wait until an adoring Yankee Stadium can properly pay tribute to our No. 1 surprise. He’s earned the ovation.

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