Inside The Pinstripes

'I'll Be Ready': Excitement Builds For Clint Frazier Ahead of First Opening Day

New York Yankees starting left fielder Clint Frazier is ready for his first Opening Day. He's seeking to take success from spring training to the regular season

Max Goodman

TAMPA — When the Yankees emerge from the first-base dugout at Yankee Stadium to kick of the regular season in less than two weeks, Clint Frazier will take the field as New York's starting left fielder for the first time.

The first game of the 2021 season is more than just the beginning of the next stage of Frazier's career, though. April 1 will also be Frazier's first Opening Day.

Next month, the outfielder and former top prospect will embark on his fifth big-league season, a career that's featured plenty of highs and lows. While the journey to this point for the 26-year-old has been tumultuous at times, one part of Frazier's game has consistently kept him in the conversation. It's something he's never been concerned about.

"I've never been worried about my hitting, but the results are nice to have," Frazier said this week, allowing a smile to creep across his face. 

All spring, the focus has been Frazier's defense. What kind of performance would Frazier put together with the leather after he was recognized as a Gold Glove finalist after last year's coronavirus-shortened campaign?

The left fielder even gave New York's coaching staff, and the entire fan base, a scare when he ran into the left field wall one week ago. Could Frazier finally distance himself from his history of concussions and that love-hate relationship with the outfield wall?

What Clint Frazier Is Working on to Prevent Future Collisions With the Outfield Wall

This week, the results began to show on offense. Frazier went 3-3 with a booming home run against the Tigers in Lakeland on Tuesday. He followed that up with a two-walk performance against the Blue Jays in Dunedin the next day. 

It might seem like a minor detail, especially since spring training stats truly don't matter, but carrying good at-bats into a second consecutive day on the diamond is a big deal for a player that's approaching his first full season as a starter.

"Yesterday, I had the good game. Today, I walked twice. I think if I continue to have just a few more of those, I'll be ready," Frazier said on Wednesday. "Obviously I want to stack as many good games on top of each other as I can just to get ready for my first Opening Day."

Frazier showed flashes throughout the 2020 regular season. At times he was the best hitter in an injury-riddled lineup, slashing .267/.394/.511 with eight homers in 39 games. 

Despite that success a year ago, Frazier recalled tinkering with his swing upon arriving to camp earlier this spring, seeking to unlock even more untapped potential at the plate.

"It didn't work and I scrapped it real quick," Frazier explained. "I had the game that I had [on Tuesday] to kind of help get things going because all I've been trying to do is just build consistency."

As the clock ticks closer to April 1, Frazier is focused on returning to form in the box, accumulating more quality at-bats in Grapefruit League play before they begin to count.

"I'm just trying to get into a rhythm," he said. "I've had a positive last five-out-of-six at-bats and that's really all I can ask for. For me, it's just finding my rhythm, swinging at the pitches that I know that I can do damage on and just continuing to get the reps, because that's what everybody needs."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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