Clint Jackson Frazier (born September 6, 1994) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
.
A top prospect for the
2013 MLB draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
, the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
chose Frazier with the fifth overall selection. The Indians traded Frazier (among other prospects) to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in 2016 for relief pitcher
Andrew Miller. Frazier made his MLB debut in 2017.
Early life and education
Frazier was born to Mark Frazier, a salesman, and his wife Kim, a preschool teacher. Despite living only 45 minutes from Atlanta, Frazier grew up a
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
fan.
Frazier attended
Loganville High School
Loganville High School (LHS) is located in Walton County, Georgia, United States. Loganville is east of Atlanta and west of Athens. The school is a part of the Walton County School District.
Walton County has nine elementary, three middle, a ...
, where he competed in
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
with
Austin Meadows
Austin Wade Meadows (born May 3, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays.
Early life and amateur c ...
.
As a junior in 2012, he
batted .424 with 24
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s. He was the winner of the
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...
Award given to the Perfect Game National Player of the Year.
[ He played in the 2012 ]Under Armour All-America Baseball Game
The Under Armour High School All-America Baseball Game is a high school baseball all-star game held annually to spotlight the United States' top high school players who are juniors or seniors. The game is played in late July or August, at Wrigley ...
. As a senior, he hit six home runs in his first seven games. Frazier finished his senior year with a .485 batting average, a .561 on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
, a 1.134 slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
, 17 home runs, 45 runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBIs), and 56 runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
. Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
named Frazier their National Baseball Player of the Year.[
Frazier committed to attend the ]University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
on a college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
scholarship to play for the Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
. He was considered one of the best prospects available in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
.
Career
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
selected Frazier with the fifth overall selection of the 2013 MLB Draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
. He signed with the Indians instead of enrolling at the University of Georgia, receiving a $3.5 million signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. The Indians assigned him to the Arizona Indians of the Rookie-level Arizona League
The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it f ...
for his professional debut. He hit a home run and a triple
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* ...
in his first professional game. In 44 games he batted .297/.392/.506 with five home runs and 28 RBIs.
In 2014, Frazier played for the Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following t ...
of the Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
where he batted .266 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in 120 games. In 2015, Frazier played for the Lynchburg Hillcats
The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinna ...
of the Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
where he compiled a .285 batting average with 16 home runs and 72 RBIs in 133 games.
Frazier began the 2016 season with the Akron RubberDucks
The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League. He was named to appear in the 2016 All Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
, where he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a stolen base. He was then promoted to the Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...
of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
on July 25.
New York Yankees
On July 31, 2016, the Indians traded Frazier along with Justus Sheffield
Justus Kane Sheffield (born May 13, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in ...
, Ben Heller
Benjamin Heller (born August 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 2016 to 2017, and 2019 to 2020.
Career
H ...
and J. P. Feyereisen
Jonathon Paul Feyereisen (born February 7, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 and has also played for the Tampa B ...
to the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
for Andrew Miller. The Yankees assigned Frazier to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...
of the International League. Frazier finished 2016 with a combined .263 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, 16 home runs and 55 RBIs in 119 games between the three clubs. Frazier began the 2017 season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He played 73 games for the RailRiders before getting called up, posting a .257 average with 12 home runs, 42 RBIs and 9 steals.
The Yankees promoted Frazier to the major leagues on July 1, 2017. He doubled for his first major league hit that day and hit his first career home run in his next at-bat. On July 8, Frazier hit his first career walk-off, a home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
off of Corey Knebel
Corey Andrew Knebel (born November 26, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. ...
, giving the Yankees a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. On July 19, Frazier changed his jersey number from No. 30 to No. 77, giving No. 30 back to the recently acquired David Robertson, who wore the number during his tenure with the Yankees from 2008 to 2014. Frazier stated that he appreciated the parallel between his No. 77 in left field and teammate Aaron Judge
Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Judge was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017, and finishe ...
's No. 99 in right field.
Frazier became the second Yankee ever with nine extra base hits
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...
before his 15th career game, after Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...
. On August 10, Frazier was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left oblique strain. Frazier did not play during the post-season when the Yankees lost in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS
The 2017 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Houston Astros against the New York Yankees for the American League pennant and the right to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. The Astros d ...
.
Frazier began the 2018 on the disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
with a concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
. He was reactivated in early May, and assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On May 15, he was called up to the Major Leagues. On May 21, he was optioned to Triple-A. On June 4, he was called up again before being optioned to Triple-A on the next day. On June 18, he was called up for the third time of the season. In a game against the Rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the ...
on June 22, Frazier entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter and appeared to have hit a home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
that could have given the Yankees the lead, but the ball hit a speaker and dropped down for a pop-out. He was sent down on the next day. On July 8, Frazier was once again called up to the Major Leagues as starting center fielder Aaron Hicks
Aaron Michael Hicks (born October 2, 1989) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his ...
was banged up. On September 5, manager Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...
said that Frazier would miss the rest of the season to get treatment for ongoing symptoms caused by the concussion he suffered earlier in the year.
During 2019 spring training, manager Aaron Boone announced that Frazier would likely start the season in the minors. Frazier was first called up on April 2 in response to the Yankees having three injured outfielders at once: Giancarlo Stanton
Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton (born November 8, 1989), formerly known as Mike Stanton, is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2010 a ...
, Aaron Hicks
Aaron Michael Hicks (born October 2, 1989) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft. He made his ...
, and Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...
. On April 6, Frazier pinch hit in the 6th inning against the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. He hit a go-ahead three-run home run to the left field seats that ultimately gave the Yankees the win. The following day, Frazier hit two home runs in a 15-3 win against the Orioles.
On June 2, New York trailed Boston 3-2 in the seventh inning when Frazier let Eduardo Núñez
Eduardo Michelle Núñez Méndez (born June 15, 1987) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and the New ...
’s sharp single get under his glove for a two-base error that allowed Michael Chavis
Michael Scott Chavis (born August 11, 1995) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Washington Nationals organization. He has played professionally since 2014 and made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Boston Red Sox, and has also pla ...
to score from first base. Three batters later, Frazier dived and missed Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Sebastian Benintendi (born July 6, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and New York Yank ...
’s liner, which fell for a single as Brock Holt
Brock Wyatt Holt (born June 11, 1988), nicknamed "The Brock Star", is an American former professional baseball player. Well known for his role as a utility player, Holt played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red ...
scored from first. Then in the eighth, he took a bad route on Chavis’ ball near the right-field line, letting it skip by for an RBI triple as fans booed. He did not speak to reporters following the defeat. Due to his poor defense and attitude, Frazier was optioned back to the minors on June 16 when the Yankees acquired Edwin Encarnación
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Ind ...
.
Frazier made the opening roster for the 2020 season, but was sent down to the alternate training site just two games into the season, on July 26, without having appeared in a game. Frazier was later recalled from the alternate training site on August 11 after Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the injured list. In his first game of the season the next day, Frazier went 3-for-4, including a home run in his first at-bat and a double in the sixth inning. He took over duty as the starting left fielder for the Yankees in September 2020. In 39 games in 2020, Frazier slashed .267/.394/.511 with eight home runs.
Frazier removed himself from a game on June 30, 2021, complaining of dizziness, and two days later was placed on the Yankees’ injured list. He underwent neurological testing in July, and was sent on a minor league rehab assignment in August. On September 12, Yankees manager Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...
announced that Frazier would miss the remainder of the season. Frazier was for designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
by the Yankees on November 19, then released four days later.
Chicago Cubs
On December 1, 2021, Frazier signed a one-year $1.5 million major league contract with the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
. On April 22, 2022, he had surgery for appendicitis and went on the injured list. The Cubs activated Frazier on May 28. He batted .216 without a home run in 45 plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...
s, then was designated for assignment on June 10. Frazier cleared waivers and chose to accept a minor-league assignment with the Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...
of the Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, allowing him to continue to receive his major-league salary. He elected free agency on October 6, 2022.
Personal life
Frazier has one older sister. His family is Christian[ and of ]Scottish ancestry
The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded ...
.
On June 22, 2022, Frazier told a broadcaster for the Iowa Cubs that he wanted to be called by his middle name, Jackson, moving forward. Until that point in his career he was known professionally as Clint Frazier.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frazier, Jackson
1994 births
Living people
Akron RubberDucks players
Arizona League Indians players
Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Columbus Clippers players
Lake County Captains players
Lynchburg Hillcats players
Major League Baseball outfielders
New York Yankees players
Chicago Cubs players
People from Loganville, Georgia
Scottsdale Scorpions players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Iowa Cubs players