Todd Frazier, 3B

Player Data: Age 33, B/T: R/R
Primary Stats: 133 G, 499 PA, 21 HR, 67 RBI, 1 SB, 40 BB, 106 SO, .251 BA, .329 OBP, .443 SLG, .772 OPS
Advanced Stats: .284 BABIP, .328 wOBA, 106 wRC+, 106 OPS+, 1.9 fWAR, 1 DRS, -1.2 UZR
Free Agent: 2020
2019 Salary: $9 million

Grade: C+

2019 Review 

After a prolific career that included two All-Star appearances and 175 home runs across his first seven seasons, the New York Mets signed Todd Frazier to a two-year, $17 million contract prior to the 2018 season.

In his first season with the Mets, Frazier had to deal with injuries for the first time in his career, missing nearly 50 games due to various ailments. Frazier had a career-low .693 OPS, hitting .213/.303/.390, with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Due to his disappointing first campaign in New York, the Mets signed Jed Lowrie in the offseason to potentially take over the starting third base duties from Frazier. However, injuries never allowed Lowrie to take the field, keeping Frazier in the starting lineup for most of the 2019 season.

Frazier got off to a slow start, hitting .148/.164/.259 through his first 20 games. The 33-year-old then went through one of his patented hot streaks, carrying a .302/.399/.537 slash line from May 16th through the end of June. During that 43-game stretch, Frazier hit nine homers and drove in 27 runs.

Once the calendar turned to July, Frazier’s bat cooled once again, struggling through the majority of July and August. While he did not hit for a high average, or get on a base at a high clip, Frazier did have 17 RBIs in August.

Then came September, which brought one last hot streak for Frazier. In the last month of the season, Frazier hit .350/.451/.567 , with three home runs and eight RBIs. One odd stat from Frazier in 2019 was that he led all of Major League Baseball with 15 ninth-inning RBIs.

While Frazier has always been inconsistent with his bat, the former shortstop has been heralded as one of the better defenders at third base since his MLB debut in 2011. Aside from 2016, Frazier has posted positive defensive ratings in each of his seasons, compiling 32 DRS and 27.5 UZR coming into 2019. This year, Frazier was only an average third baseman though, with 1 DRS and a -1.2 UZR.

During his two years in Queens, Frazier was fan-favorite and a great leader. There is no doubt that his steady presence and professionalism made a big impact in that clubhouse, especially with the great second-half the Mets put together in 2019. But with a limited budget and $10 million committed to Lowrie, Frazier is not likely to be back in 2020.

2019 Key Moment

On August 9th, the Mets were trailing 6-3 going into the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals. New York was in the midst of their hottest stretch of the season, winning 13 of their last 14 games, with no quit in sight.

In the bottom of the ninth, J.D Davis ripped a lead-off double, which was followed by a single from Wilson Ramos to set the table for Todd Frazier. With a Citi Field crowd brimming with anticipation, Frazier delivered his most iconic moment in a Mets uniform.

The Mets would go on to win that game when Michael Conforto hit a walk-off single, five batters after Frazier’s game-tying homer.

2020 Outlook

When Todd Frazier signed with the New York Mets two years ago, he expressed concern about the state of free agency for veteran players at his introductory press conference. Unfortunately, the market for veterans has not gotten any better, so Frazier could be in for a long winter.

With Jeff McNeil or J.D. Davis likely to take over the starting third base duties next season, the Mets have more pressing needs to address in free agency than bringing Frazier back in 2020.

By Ryan Finkelstein