Top NYY Could-Have-Beens: Clint Frazier

It is hard to find a more polarizing figure in recent Yankee history than Clint Frazier.

The top prospect acquired in the deal that sent Andrew Miller to Cleveland and represented the first time the Yankees truly acted as sellers at the trade deadline in my lifetime, his loud personality made him well-loved and hated in equal portions by different parts of the fanbase.

The team considered him off-limits on the trade market, but simultaneously seemed reluctant to give him consistent playing time.

And to top it all off, his Yankees tenure was filled with injuries, including a concussion that ultimately served as the end of his big league career.

Perhaps its no surprise that, when finally granted his release, he seemed ecstatic for the fresh start.

Years in Yankees Organization : 2016-21 How They Left : Designated for assignment on November 23, 2021 Career MLB Yankee Statistics : 5 seasons, 228 games, 807 plate appearances, .239/.327/.434, 104 OPS+, 29 HR, 97 RBI, -20 DRS, -19 OAA, 0.2 bWAR Career MLB Statistics : 7 seasons, 280 games, 928 plate appearances, 235/.327/.412, 100 OPS+, 29 HR, 101 RBI, -20 DRS, -22 OAA, -0.1 bWAR A native of Loganville, Georgia, Frazier erupted on the national baseball scene in high school, invited to the Under Armour All-American Baseball Game in 2012 after a junior year in which he batted .424 and hit 24 home runs.

His senior year was even better, posting a .485/.561/1.134 slash line en route to being named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year.

Baseball Americas top high school prospect in the 2013 draft, he was taken fifth overall by Cleveland 27 spots ahead of Aaron Judge who offered him a $3.5 million signing bonus to forego his commitment to the University of Georgia.

From the moment he stepped on the field for Clevelands rookie ball team, Frazier turned eyes.

Baseball America called him a five-tool prospect, stressing of course his now-memed legendary bat speed, but also noting that he appeared to have fast twitch athleticism...enough range to stay in center field, and [an] above-average arm [that] would also allow a move to right.

Although Frazier showed his age in his first two seasons of pro ball despite strong performances at all levels, he also showed his aggressive pull-happy, grip-it-and-rip-it approach that would be exposed at higher levels he steadily climbed the rungs of the minor leagues.

Reaching Triple-A in the middle of July in 2016, his exceptional work habits allowed him to develop the plate discipline needed to become a complete hitter.

As Clevelands No.

2 ranked prospect, he looked ready to join Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor as Clevelands core for years to come.

But 2016 was the time to strike, and Frazier wasnt yet ready for the bigs.

And so, Cleveland opted to push their chips to the center of the table and swung a massive deal with the Yankees, sending Frazier along with pitchers Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P.

Feyereisen to the Bronx in exchange for reliever Andrew Miller.

Immediately, the redheaded outfielder became the organizations top prospect, challenged for the spot only by fellow newcomer Gleyber Torres.

With the Yankees not truly looking to compete in the final two months of the season and with Judge, Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin, and Mason Williams already getting some run in the bigs, the organization opted to keep Frazier in Triple-A to finish the season; he would post a .228/.278/.396 slash in 25 games with the RailRiders.

Frazier entered the 2017 season with high expectations, with Baseball America pegging him as the future left fielder for the Yankees so long as he continued to work on his pitch recognition.

Unfortunately, however, it was not his potential on the diamond, but unnecessary outside drama imposed on him, that would dominate the discussion: from millions of articles about his 80-grade hair and the Yankees draconian grooming policy to a false report that he had asked for the Yankees to unretire Mickey Mantles No.

7, he became a lightning rod for criticism, as the New York media looked for the baseball equivalent of Odell Beckham Jr.

to write about.

Despite the outside noise, Frazier hit well in Triple-A (.816 OPS in 74 games) to earn a call to The Show after multiple injuries including a devastating one to fellow Baby Bomber Dustin Fowler in the first inning of his debut.

On July 1, 2017, in a game against the Houston Astros , Frazier made his debut, notching his first career hit with a double to lead off a sixth inning and his first career home run to lead off the seventh.

Seven days later, Clint hit his first career walk-off home run, capping off a three-hit day with a three-run shot off Milwaukee closer Corey Knebel, to give the Yankees a 5-3 victory.

Frazier would hold down an outfield spot until Aaron Hicks returned to the Yankees lineup, which, in typical Yankees fashion, also coincided with an oblique strain that sent Frazier to the injured list.

Ultimately, the young outfielder would play in 39 games for the Yankees as a rookie, and although he did not make the postseason roster, it looked like a lock that he would play a significant role for the 2018 Yankees with perhaps with a chance to earn a starting spot out of spring training.

And then, everything went sideways.

First, the Yankees added reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton in the biggest blockbuster trade of the winter.

Suddenly, the Yankees had the most crowded outfield in baseball, with Judge, Stanton, Hicks, Brett Gardner, and Jacoby Ellsbury all under contract and competing for space on the active roster.

Then, on February 24, 2018, Frazier collided into the wall during a spring training, suffering a concussion.

Although diagnosed as a minor one, this concussion would shape Fraziers career.

He returned to concussion protocol two more times that year, once in July and once in September, limiting him to just 69 total games between the majors and the minors; far from the first year in which he made an impact, 2018 was a lost year.

Perhaps due to these concussions, the Yankees opted to break camp in 2019 with Frazier ticketed to Triple-A, giving the final outfield spot to the newly-acquired Mike Tauchman, as they needed someone capable of backing up Gardner in center field with Ellsbury and Hicks out.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, Stanton hit the injured list during the seasons first series, bringing Frazier back to the Bronx.

He took his opportunity and ran with it, posting a .324/.343/.632 slash line with six home runs in 18 games ...

before finding himself on the shelf with a sprained left ankle, the 15th member of the Yankees to hit the injured list that year.

When he returned in early May, Frazier piled defensive miscue on top of defensive miscue, resulting in his demotion to Triple-A on June 16th when the Yankees acquired Edwin Encarnacion in a trade that was, at the time, very much out of the blue.

All the while, he made enemies in the media, refusing to talk to reporters after difficult games and very noticeably taking his time reporting to Scranton (even if he was technically within his right to take his contractually-allowed three days to do so).

With Tauchman, Mike Ford, and Cameron Maybin outplaying him, the Yankees mostly just let Frazier remain in Triple-A the rest of the season, and even when he returned to the active roster in September, he mostly served in a part-time role designed to keep the starters healthy down the stretch.

Heading into the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, everyone knew that it was to be a make-or-break year for the former top prospect.

Despite technically starting the season on the Opening Day roster, Frazier began the season as nothing more than outfield depth depth which the Yankees soon needed, and in bunches.

Thrust into the starting lineup on August 11th due to injuries to Judge and Stanton, he took his opportunity and ran with it.

Thanks to the fact that, at the start of the season, Frazier felt symptom-free after his 2018 concussions for the first time, he posted a .267/.394/.511 slash line and played solid enough defense in right field to earn a Gold Glove nomination in what was admittedly a weak year for corner outfielders.

Furthermore, he proved that he could be a positive role model both on and off the field, wearing a mask while playing in order to do his part to slow the spread of COVID-19 during some of the worst days of the crisis.

Had he been able to build upon this campaign, the Masked Swinger may have become one of the biggest up-and-coming stars in his generation.

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to anyone until after his Yankees career had ended, Frazier suffered another concussion during the 2020 season, in one of the two matchups against the Blue Jays in September (the article with this report does not specify which, September 7-9 or 22-24).

In the midst of a breakout campaign, No.

77 opted not to inform the team, worried that it might hinder his last chance.

It would prove to be a major mistake.

Following the Rays elimination of the Yankees in the 2020 ALDS, Frazier began the next season as the Opening Day left fielder.

But he struggled out of the gate both at the plate and in the field, putting together an abysmal .186/.317/.317 slash line to go with -11 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average.

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees were desperate for alternatives even before he hit the injured list on July 1st with what was originally called vision problems and vertigo, but which were ultimately revealed to likely be concussion-related.

(Frazier himself says that the team had been unaware of his 2020 concussion until he pulled myself from that game in 2021 , suggesting that the two events are related.) When Frazier pulled himself from a rehab assignment in August, that effectively ended his Yankees career.

With Judge and Trade Deadline acquisition Joey Gallo now on the depth chart, the organization decided his spot on the 40-man was more valuable than he was to the team, and designated him for assignment in November.

The change of scenery did not save Fraziers career.

In 52 games on both sides of Chicago from 2022-23, he hit .204/.322/.262 with a 65 OPS+ and nary a long ball.

Most of his time was spent in Triple-A, and he joined the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League in 2024 before ultimately retiring this past summer.

Once upon a time, we dreamed a dream where Judge, Frazier, Stanton, Torres, Sanchez, and Greg Bird battered opposing lineups into submission.

Alas, the baseball gods are cruel, and now, only Judge and Stanton remain.

Still, as I ponder the Baby Bombers era, I cannot help but wonder how the last five years might have been different if Clint Frazier never crashed into that outfield wall in 2018.

Sources Anderson, R.J.

Yankees release Clint Frazier, Rougned Odor; trade Tyler Wade to Angels in roster shakeup .

CBS Sports .

November 23, 2021.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Associated Press.

Indians sign OF Clint Frazier .

ESPN .

June 15, 2013.

Accessed February 6, 2025.

Baseball Almanac Baseball America Scouting Reports Baseball Reference BR Bullpen Clint Frazier FanGraphs Clint Frazier Ferenchick, Matt.

Yankees 2020 Season Preview: Clint Frazier.

Pinstripe Alley .

February 26, 2020.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Griffin, John.

On Clint Frazier and non-baseball medical concerns .

Pinstripe Alley .

August 18, 2021.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Griffin, John.

Yankees 2021 Season Preview: Clint Frazier .

Pinstripe Alley.

March 2, 2021.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Harrison, Ian.

Frazier expresses defiance, remorse over fielding miscues .

Associated Press.

June 4, 2019.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Heneghan, Kelsie.

Indians trade Frazier, Sheffield to Yankees .

MiLB.com.

July 31, 2016.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Hoch, Bryan.

Frazier out of action with mild concussion .

MLB.com.

February 26, 2018.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Hoch, Bryan.

Hicks returns as C.

Frazier goes on disabled list .

MLB.com.

August 10, 2017.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Hoynes, Paul.

Cleveland Indians sign No.1 pick Clint Frazier for $3.5 million; will report to Goodyear, Ariz .

Cleveland.com.

June 15, 2023.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

King III, George A.

Clint Frazier latest promotion in wild week of Yankees call-ups.

New York Post .

July 1, 2017.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Krosnowski, Tom.

How Clint Frazier became a Gold Glove candidate .

Pinstripe Alley .

October 28, 2020.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

McCalvey, Adam and Matthew Martell.

Downtown goes Frazier! Yank belts walk-off .

MLB.com.

July 8, 2017.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Norton, Tyler.

Clint Frazier, the Yankees, and unnecessary criticism .

Pinstripe Alley .

July 2, 2017.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Norton, Tyler.

Clint Frazier explains why he wears a mask: Its the right thing to do .

Pinstripe Alley .

July 14, 2020.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Snyder, Matt.

Former Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier reveals he didnt report concussion to club in 2020 .

CBS Sports.

March 24, 2022.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Swanepoel, Sharon.

LHS Outfielder Added to Roster at Wrigley Field .

Patch Loganville-Grayson, GA.

August 9, 2012.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Witz, Billy.

Clint Frazier Is Part of Baseballs Evolution on Concussions .

New York Times .

March 16, 2018.

Accessed February 3, 2025.

Previously on Top Could-Have-Been Yankees Miguel Andujar Full List (to date).

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