Whether it’s in Cincinnati, Chicago, Queens or the Bronx, eight-year veteran Todd Frazier makes an impact everywhere he goes.
What do the 2017 New York Yankees and the 2018 New York Mets have in common?
Other than the fact that they both play in New York, both organizations were blessed with a wily veteran who isn’t the flashiest player in the game but knows how to motivate, bring the clubhouse together, and more importantly, help his team win baseball games.
This blue collar ball player is, in fact, Todd Frazier.
Frazier’s numbers were never jaw-dropping. In his eight-year stint in MLB, he has never posted a batting average over .300 and only has two All-Star appearances on his resume.
However, it’s not always about the numbers you post on the field that wins baseball games. Frazier took matters into his own hands these past two years and focused on the team aspect of the game instead of numbers aspect.
Prior to getting Todd Frazier from the White Sox, the Yankees were 48-44, hovering around the .500 mark and with the Red Sox playing as well as they were, the Yankees needed something to spark their young lineup.
Enter Frazier.
The Yanks went 44-27 after adding Frazier, finishing 91-71. They won the AL Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins, took down the defending AL Champs, the Cleveland Indians, in a five-game series and took the Houston Astros to seven games, falling one win short of a World Series appearance.
I’m not saying Frazier was the main reason for the Yankees success in 2017, but he definitely played a big role in their playoff push and run. The second he arrived in the Bronx, he became an instant clubhouse leader and his energy rubbed off on his teammates.
"He brings energy and he brings the love to play every day."
Joe Girardi talks about the player the @Mets are getting in @FlavaFraz21. #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/GlxPzJlrMZ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 8, 2018
“He plays good defense. He’s going to hit his 25 homers,” former Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on MLB Network back in February. “He’s going to grind out at-bats and work some walks and give you some big at-bats where he drives in runs. But he brings energy and he brings the love to play every day.”
After the 2017 season came to a close, Todd Frazier was on the move and signed with the Yanks’ crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. Frazier has continued to impart his leadership on the team. The Mets are off to a 10-1 start in 2018, the best start in franchise history.
One player on whom Frazier has made a big impact on with his new squad is All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. “Todd is one of those guys who makes everyone laugh’ Cespedes told the New York Post‘s Kevin Kernan. “I think for this team it is so great to have Frazier and I really enjoy being around him.”
Every team needs a Todd Frazier. Every team needs a leader that loves coming to the ballpark day in and day out, bringing energy to the clubhouse, and giving you their all on the field.
It’s clear that Frazier impacts teams and helps them win baseball games. It’s going to be interesting and exciting to see how far he can help the Mets go in 2018.
