Clint Jackson Frazier (born September 6, 1994) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.
A top prospect entering the 2013 MLB draft, the Cleveland Indians chose Frazier with the fifth overall selection. The Indians traded Frazier (among other prospects) to the New York Yankees in 2016 for relief pitcher Andrew Miller. Frazier made his MLB debut in 2017. He played for the Yankees through 2021, and then for the Cubs in 2022, and for the White Sox in 2023. He briefly played in the Atlantic League in 2024 for the Charleston Dirty Birds, but retired mid-season.
Frazier attended Loganville High School, where he competed in baseball with Austin Meadows. As a junior in 2012, he batted .424 with 24 . He was the winner of the Jackie Robinson Award given to the Perfect Game National Player of the Year. He played in the 2012 Under Armour All-America Baseball Game. 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, a 1.134 slugging percentage, 17 home runs, 45 runs batted in (RBIs), and 56 runs scored. Gatorade named Frazier their National Baseball Player of the Year.
Frazier committed to attend the University of Georgia on a college baseball scholarship to play for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was considered one of the best prospects available in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft.
In 2014, Frazier played for the Lake County Captains of the Single–A Midwest League where he batted .266 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in 120 games. In 2015, Frazier played for the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League 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 of the Class AA Eastern League. He was named to appear in the 2016 All Star Futures Game, where he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a stolen base. He was then promoted to the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League on July 25.
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 off of Corey Knebel, giving the Yankees a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 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's No. 99 in right field.
Frazier became the second Yankee ever with nine Extra-base hit before his 15th career game, after Joe DiMaggio. 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.
Frazier began the 2018 season on the disabled list with a concussion. 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 at Tropicana Field on June 22, Frazier entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter and appeared to have hit a home run 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 was banged up. On September 5, manager Aaron Boone 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, Aaron Hicks, and Jacoby Ellsbury. On April 6, Frazier pinch hit in the 6th inning against the Baltimore Orioles. 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’s sharp single get under his glove for a two-base error that allowed Michael Chavis to score from first base. Three batters later, Frazier dived and missed Andrew Benintendi’s liner, which fell for a single as Brock Holt 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.
Frazier made the opening roster for the Covid-delayed 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 announced that Frazier would miss the remainder of the season. Frazier was designated for assignment by the Yankees on November 19, then released four days later.
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. After using his middle name for a portion of the 2022 season, Frazier claimed that the decision was part of "a joke that just went too far," and thereafter continued to go by Clint.
Career
Cleveland Indians
New York Yankees
Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox
Charleston Dirty Birds
Personal life
External links
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