The New York Yankees are looking like the best team in baseball to this point of the MLB season, currently sitting at an impressive 41-16 record on the year.
Both the offense and pitching have taken a big leap from last season. And they are doing it without a player who looked destined to be a big part of the Yankees outfield for years to come.
Former Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier was once ranked as the 16th best prospect in baseball ahead of the 2017 MLB season, but he was unable to replicate those high hopes that many had for him.
Frazier played five years with the Yankees and even showed flashes of solid play with the team. But he was ultimately released by the organization early this offseason after struggling with a .186 batting average last year.
Frazier now plays for the Chicago Cubs, where he has been used sparingly as mostly a pinch-hitter. With the Cubs set to take on the Yankees in a three-game series starting on Friday, Frazier was asked about his time with the Yankees’ organization. And he certainly did not mince words about his tenure there.
“Certainly don’t miss some of the things over there,” Frazier told Maddie Lee of The Chicago Sun-Times in an interview this week. “And I’m really enjoying the way that this clubhouse has maneuvered. It seems like there’s a lot of guys in here that are just accepting of everyone. And it’s been really good for me.”
“And you had to be a cookie-cutter version to be on that team,” Frazier said. “If not, then you were, like, a really bad distraction, it seemed like. So I don’t miss being told how I had to look for the last five years.”
Frazier notably has a beard and a nose ring now with the Cubs, things that the clean-cut Yankees organization certainly frowns upon.
During his time in New York, Frazier was often given little time to shine with stars like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton playing ahead of him in a packed outfield. But while Frazier certainly looks to be happy with the Cubs, there has to be a part of him that wishes he could be a part of the Yankees’ success this season.
Updated: The Cubs cut Frazier from their major-league roster Friday:
The Cubs have designated Clint Frazier for assignment.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 10, 2022
So maybe the change of scenery isn’t all positive for him.
[The Chicago Sun-Times; photo from Wendell Cruz/USA Today Sports]
