Evaluating 4 Pittsburgh Pirates Batters And Predicting Their Future Performance Through DRC+

SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 19: Colin Moran #19 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is congratulated by Josh Bell #55 and Bryan Reynolds #10 after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park May 19, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - MAY 19: Colin Moran #19 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is congratulated by Josh Bell #55 and Bryan Reynolds #10 after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park May 19, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates, Adam Frazier
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Adam Frazier

The second baseman got his first full season of action and overall was just below league average. In 608 plate appearances, Adam Frazier batted .278/.336/.417 with 10 home runs 33 doubles, and a 97 wRC+. Despite his lackluster numbers, his .320 wOBA was exactly league average in 2019. But his 2018 was much better. Like Newman, even though he posted a weak walk rate, Frazier refused to strikeout. His 13.2% K rate was the 10th lowest in the game.

Although he was only given 352 plate appearances, he hit a much better .277/.342/.452 with 10 home runs, 23 doubles, and a 116 wRC+. In 2018, he also saw a much better quality of contact numbers, including a 15.4% soft contact rate, and 34.8% hard-hit rate. Both of those are still career bests for the infielder.

Most rate statistics that are based on the 100 scale, which means 100 is league average and any point above or below is a percentage above/below average, put Frazier in the mid-to-high 90’s range, but still below 100. DRC+ doesn’t deviate from that path placing him at 95. That’s understandable though. Fraizer doesn’t really excel at anything, nor is he really that bad at anything.

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He sits in this grey area of below-average batter, but not enough for the Pirates to worry over finding an immediate replacement. His numbers between good teams and bad teams aren’t that far apart, with him actually being better than good teams in 2019. If his DRC+ is any indication of his future seasons, he is going to keep doing what he did last year, and between 2016 and 2017.