Adam Frazier shows staying power at 2B for Pirates, despite cameos in left field

Derek Shelton hasn’t hesitated to ask Adam Frazier to move to left field in late-game situations, knowing “he’s more than willing” to play wherever needed for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Shelton, however, made it clear once again Saturday that he has no intention of moving Frazier away from second base.

“I’m pretty set with him at second,” Shelton said. “He and I have talked about, if we need him to go out there, he’s more than willing. He’s a tremendous teammate and said that. But right now, he’s doing an unbelievable job at second. We’d prefer to keep him there and plan on keeping him there.”

The Pirates have had a revolving door in left field since switching Bryan Reynolds to center on April 22, after designating Anthony Alford and Dustin Fowler for assignment just days apart. Since then, the Pirates have used Phillip Evans in seven games, Ka’ai Tom in a dozen and Ben Gamel twice, including Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants.

Frazier simply shrugged it off, knowing his position could change.

“I think we’re just trying to put the best lineup we can out there every day,” Frazier said last week. “I guess that involves me being at second base for now.”

Shelton cited one play in particular as a “perfect example” for his reluctance to move Frazier, the textbook 4-6-3 double play he turned in the second inning Friday night against the Giants. The Pirates manager doesn’t want to disrupt the continuity of his double-play tandem.

“If you’re doing a Tom Emanski double-play video,” Shelton said, name-dropping the father of fundamental instruction videos, “the one ball he turned last night, where he drops his right foot, puts himself in a position to throw the ball before he catches it, because it’s a top spin ball, that’s what elite second baseman do. He put himself in a really good position.”

Derek Shelton pointed out this double play started by Adam Frazier in the second inning of last night's game: "It’s a video that will go to our minor leaguers because that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do, exactly how you’re supposed to do it." #Pirates pic.twitter.com/pa9T2gQXlT

— Gerard Gilberto (@Gerard_Gilberto) May 15, 2021

Such plays are what have come to be expected of Frazier, a two-time Gold Glove finalist at second base who has started 37 of the team’s 39 games there this season. Shelton took it a step further, noting the Pirates will use Frazier’s turning two as an organizational example of fundamental baseball played in the major leagues.

“It’s a video that will go to our minor leaguers because that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do, exactly how you’re supposed to do it,” Shelton said. “It’s something he practiced and that really stands out. We’ve done a much better job of that this year between him, Newman has been significantly better at shortstop, and (Erik Gonzalez).”

Not only has Frazier played his position well, despite four early errors, but his 47 hits were leading the National League going into Saturday’s game. Frazier leads the Pirates in batting average (.315), on-base percentage (.383) and triples (three), and ranks second with 12 doubles.

Frazier went 4 for 5 in the 3-2 win over the Giants on Friday night, falling a homer short of hitting for the cycle. His leadoff triple in the 11th inning tied the game and set the stage to score the winning run on Gregory Polanco’s sacrifice fly.

“He’s a hit machine, man,” Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco said. “I love Adam, man. We are really close, and I always feel like, during the game, that’s the guy that I go. I go to Adam. … He hits everybody – lefty, righty, no matter what, he’s got a really short swing.”

Shelton noted Frazier had his scheduled day off disrupted when Evans injured his hamstring in the fifth inning Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier pinch ran for Evans, then stayed in the game at second base. Shelton said it was “unfortunate” Frazier’s 12-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-2 performance on his day off.

“Honestly, that day really kinda stunk because he was in the middle of a 12-game hitting streak,” Shelton said. “I had kind of told myself that I wasn’t going to play him unless I had to. Being a former hitting coach, I respect those things. If we had a chance to win, we would have played him. And he had to come in and play in the game.”

No wonder Shelton called Frazier a “definite luxury,” given his willingness to switch to the outfield and his ability to make a run-saving catch on Brandon Crawford’s fly ball to the warning track in left field. That prompted Shelton to pay Frazier a compliment by calling him a “baseball player.”

“That’s something that I told very true,” Shelton said. “I appreciate that. I think that’s one of the things you appreciate about Adam Frazier. OK, we need you to go play left in the ninth inning of a tie game to help us win a game. He makes a running catch against the wall. What he brings every day is something to be very much appreciated.”