Todd Frazier reaping benefits for both Mets and Yankees

Todd Frazier is the consummate professional, and that showed on Sunday when he took Luis Severino deep for a two-run home run.  It was the second home run of the Subway Series for Frazier and even though he’s playing a different borough it’s just more of the same for the kid from New Jersey.

Frazier has never lit up the stat sheet, with a career average of .245.  He hit only .222 for the Yankees last season in 66 games and is currently batting .239 with seven HRs and 24 RBI for the Mets so far.  Frazier was signed this season by the Mets for a multitude of reasons, and those same reasons have carried him throughout his illustrious MLB career.

He is the best clubhouse guy in MLB

It’s a stretch maybe to say that he is the BEST, but the impact Frazier has left on the Yankees and the one he is currently leaving on the Mets cannot be measured in statistics or advanced statistics for that matter.  During his time with the Yankees, Frazier brought the club together and was a mentor for all the young kids.  He was the “straw” that stirred the drink during the Yankees’ run to the ALCS and his clubhouse antics brought a lighthearted atmosphere to the team.

He was the one who forged the “thumbs down” celebration after each hit for the Yankees.  This was made possible thanks to a Mets fan giving the thumbs down after a Yankees’ win over the Tampa Bay Rays, which just happened to be played at Citi Field after Hurricane Irma came knocking down in south Florida.  Frazier also cultivated the “salt and pepper” celebration for the Mets.  The Mets now shake their hands like they’re cracking pepper after each and every hit.

He’s a clutch hitter

Frazier may only have a career .245 average, but the hits he does get have always been clutch.  Sunday night was just the most recent example in a long history of being a clutch player.  Frazier hits home runs in the most opportune times, none more important than his three-run home run in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros last season.  Frazier can hit with the best of them, even if his swing may be unorthodox and he strikes out a lot.  He is still a clutch player and the Mets will need him if they are to make a playoff run.

He’s a great fielder and mentor

The final reason why Frazier is such a good pickup for the Mets is his ability to mentor all young players that he surrounds himself with.  As stated before, he’s a clutch hitter and a great clubhouse guy, but throughout his career in Cincinnati, with the Yankees, and now the Mets, he has always been a leader.

Frazier most certainly worked with Miguel Andujar on his defense while the young prospect was up, and he’s surely seasoned young players like Amed Rosario on not only how to field the left side of the infield, but how to handle himself like a professional.  Frazier is a great fielder and that sort of thing gets overlooked when a team is struggling.

Todd Frazier is one of the veterans in the Mets clubhouse, and now that he’s fresh off the DL can truly show the rest of the team how to win and how to perform under pressure.  He’s been through it all and he not only leads behind the scenes but shows up in big moments.  He is the kind of guy you want on your team and the Mets can hopefully use his expertise to dig themselves out of this hole.