2010 Top Prospect List: #2 Todd Frazier, inf/of

Todd Frazier
Height 6-3, Weight 220, B/T: R/R, DOB: 2/12/1986
2009 Redlegs Baseball Prospect Ranking: #3

Todd Frazier is one of the more intriguing prospects in the Reds farm system. Oddly enough for one of the top prospects in the system and the game, he is still also something of an enigma. The Reds have yet to really lock Frazier into a position, which gives him an impressive bit of versatility, but also makes him more difficult to value. Positional value and defensive prowess are large components of prospect valuation, but it's difficult to know what to do with Frazier. Do you compare him to second basemen, third basemen, or outfielders? How does he perform defensively at each position? The sample size just isn't large enough to know.

Still, there is no denying Frazier's talent or value, regardless of the position he plays. He should play a central role for the Queen City home 9 for years to come.


2009 SEASON

Frazier spent the 2009 season splitting time between double-A Carolina and triple-A Louisville. He opened up the campaign at double-A, where he hit .290/.350/.481/.831 in 119 games and 451 ABs. He boasted a 67/42 K/BB ratio, 40 doubles, and 14 homeruns. He ripped line drives at a 24% clip, but performed poorly in the basestealing department, as he was success only 7 out of 15 times. The 14 homeruns were impressive, but the 40 doubles were really impressive and indicate additional power projection in his game. Additionally, his production was legitimate, as his BABIP was .316, which may have even been a bit unlucky in light of his very high line drive rate. His solid overall production earned him a late season promotion to triple-A.

For Louisville, Frazier posted a slash line of .302/.362/.476/.839 in 16 games and 63 ABs. He had a 12/6 K/BB ratio, 5 doubles, and 2 homeruns. Once again, he hit line drives at a stellar 22% clip and was actually more successful in the basestealing department, as he swiped 2 bases in 2 attempts. Once again, his production was legitimate, as his BABIP was reasonable at .347.

Overall, it was a very productive and successful season, as he handled the highest levels of the minors without much difficulty. His linedrive swing enables him to post high averages, should help him avoid lengthy slumps, and also helps explain his massive number of doubles. He can hit the ball with authority and effectively drive it from gap to gap.


SWING MECHANICS

Frazier has one of the most unorthodox swings in the system. Fortunately, it is also one of the most effective. The defining characteristic of Frazier's swing is the complete extension of his left arm before the pitch arrives. For comparison sake, below there is a photo of Frazier sandwiched between photos of two of the best right-handed hitters of the modern era.













Edgar Martinez and Albert Pujols are two of the best right-handed hitters of all-time and, not surprisingly, have swings that are very fundamentally sound. On the left, Edgar has just completed his stride and has begun to fire his hips. However, for our purposes, the important thing to look at is his left arm, which is bent at the elbow. On the right, Albert Pujols is in the middle of his stride, which is largely just picking up the front foot and placing it back down. However, as with Edgar, you can see some bend in Pujols' lead elbow. If you look at the photo in the middle, then you can see Todd Frazier in mid-stride with a completely extended lead arm. There is no bend in his lead elbow, as he is basically using an "arm bar" type swing. He's managed to reduce it a bit at the professional level, but it is still very pronounced in his swing.

In addition, his hand position is both lower and farther back than the other two. In order to counteract his different hand position, Frazier utilizes more shoulder and lower body in his swing. His swing is certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but he has the skills to make it highly productive.

Frazier starts with a shoulder-width stance and a small crouch. He holds his hands up by his right ear with the bat almost parallel to the ground. To stay loose while waiting for the pitch he utilizes a small bat waggle. His stride involves a small step forward towards the pitcher. He then breaks down his front leg by rotating up on his toe and significantly turning his knee back in towards the catcher. After the knee is drawn back, he rolls down off his toe and back down onto his foot, which helps move his knee towards the pitcher and transfer his weight to meet the pitch. So, while the plant foot stays grounded after landing from the stride, his front knee is moving significantly, first back towards the catcher and then forward towards the pitcher. It gives him a lot of unique leg action in his swing.

The leg action Frazier incorporates into his swing is done in part to work around his arm-bar and the hand position it creates. To get from his hand position into the hitting position, Frazier has to take a slightly more circuitous approach. The arm-bar makes it difficult to properly fire the swing with the hands and arms, so Frazier has to trigger the swing with lower body action and by pulling the bat with upper body rotation. As a result, Frazier has a more active lower half and more rotational action in his swing than is to be expected.

Once he does trigger the swing, his hands work effectively and enable him to consistently get the barrel of the bat on the ball. He has good hand-eye coordination and strong wrists which help him consistently square up the ball.

The obvious question on this type of swing is whether it prevents the hitter from handling the inside pitches. If the hitter's arms are already extended before contact, then it becomes much more difficult to turn on inside pitches. Good fastballs or biting breaking balls running in on the hands could potentially cause problems for this type of swing. This has been the concern with Frazier since his professional debut, but he continues to defy expectations by having little difficulty with pitches on the inner half. He obviously understands his swing and what he needs to do to make it work for him. Despite the "arm bar" and the work around swing mechanics it necessitates, Frazier continually gets himself into good hitting position in the contact zone, which is the only thing that really matters.

Here is a look at Frazier in action:




Again, comparing Frazier with Pujols (see: photos below), you can see a lot of similarities despite the differences in the early stages of their swings. In the contact zone, their lower bodies are in similar positions and they both keep their head down on the ball. In addition, their hips and shoulders have rotated similar amounts, though Frazier has opened up faster. One potential difference between the two can be seen by comparing the position of the right arm. Pujols is effectively utilizing both arms in his swing, but the position of Frazier's right arm indicates that his swing is driven more by strong shoulder rotation and pulling through with his lead arm. That's especially true on inside pitches, as his "arm bar" swing leaves him little option but to speed up the rotation of his shoulders and spin open to get the bat on the ball.












As of now, the concerns about Frazier's swing are being drastically outweighed by his non-stop production. It's undeniably unorthodox, but style always yields to substance. Frazier continues to get the job done. It's been that way since the Little League World Series all the way through to the professional level and there isn't any reason why it can't continue all the way to the majors.


DEFENSE AND POSITIONAL VALUE

This is where Frazier remains a bit of a mystery. Typically, versatility is viewed as a good thing. Here, however, it's difficult to properly value Frazier when the Reds have yet to lock him in at a position. Alternatively, the Reds have considered him for first base (37 games), second base (37 games), third base (22 games), shortstop (112 games), and leftfield (91 games). Frazier's impressive baseball acumen enables him to comfortably move all over the diamond.

Frazier has a good, accurate arm with a quick release which plays well both in the infield and the outfield. He doesn't have quick feet or first step quickness, which limits his range at shortstop. He has good speed when he gets underway, which should give him solid range in the outfield. He probably projects best at the hot corner, but Scott Rolen is there for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, the higher up the defensive spectrum he plays, the more value he brings to the table. His versatility is impressive, but it would be nice to see the Reds give him a set position. It would definitely help with his valuation, but his ability to play multiple positions will enable him to fit more seamlessly into the holes of the 25 man roster.


CONCLUSION

The most impressive part of Frazier's game is undoubtedly his feel for the game. His baseball instincts are tremendous, which is due in large part to playing the game non-stop as a kid and his upbringing in a family of ballplayers. He really understands the finer points of the game and it certainly shows in his play.

Frazier understands what needs to be done and how to do it. He doesn't have the best tools or the most impressive game mechanics, but he is one of the most impressive talents in the system. His instincts really help his tools play up a notch.

In short, Frazier is a ballplayer through and through, which is part of why he lands at #2 on the list.

2009 Top Prospect List: #3 Todd Frazier, inf/of

Todd Frazier
Height 6-3, Weight 220, B/T: R/R, DOB: 2/12/1986
2008 Redlegs Baseball Prospect Ranking: #6

Todd Frazier is obviously one of the rising stars in the Reds farm system. He combines a tremendous baseball IQ with very strong baseball skills. He has an innate understanding of how to play the game. The beginning of his professional career has been impressive, but he seems poised to take a significant step forward in 2009.

2008 SEASON

The Reds continued their trend of advancing prospects rather slowly up the ladder. Frazier, a polished college product was sent back to low-A Dayton to start off 2008. In Dayton, Frazier wasted no time in proving that he was ready for more advanced competition. He posted a stellar slash line of .321/.402/.598/1.000 with 7 homeruns and a 28/15 K/BB ratio in 124 plate appearances. It was obvious for all to see that Frazier needed a promotion and the Reds responded by moving him up to high-A Sarasota.

At Sarasota, Frazier posted a solid .281/.357/.451/.808 slash line with 12 homers and an 84/41 K/BB ratio in 414 plate appearances. Not the most impressive line, but once again context goes a long way, as Frazer was better than his overall numbers. He posted an eye popping line drive rate of 26%, but suffered from the very pitcher-friendly environment in Sarasota. In addition, he was likely a bit unlucky, as his BABIP was "only" .337. Obviously, a .337 mark is ordinarily above average, but it actually seems a bit low in light of his 26% line drive rate. Frazier's overall numbers were dragged down by a bit of bad hit luck and a very unfriendly hitting environment. Even so, the Reds kept him in Sarasota to finish out the season.

As if to illustrate the point that his overall numbers weren't indicative of his true level of performance, Frazier played in the Hawaiian Winter Leagues and quickly took out his frustrations on the opposing pitchers. In Hawaii, he posted a line of .350/.364/.700/1.064 with 1 homer and a 3/0 K/BB ratio.

Oddly enough, the Reds still have yet to decide on a full-time position for Frazier, as during his three stops in 2008 he played shortstop, designated hitter, first base, third base, and leftfield.

SWING MECHANICS

Part of the debate on Todd Frazier in prospect circles centers on his unorthodox swing. So, we might as well take another look. The defining characteristic of Frazier's swing is the complete extension of his left arm before the pitch arrives. For comparison sake, below there is a photo of Frazier in between photos of two of the best right-handed hitters of the modern era.














Edgar Martinez and Albert Pujols are two of the best right-handed hitters of all-time and, not surprisingly, have swings that are very fundamentally sound. On the left, Edgar has just completed his stride and has begun to fire his hips. However, for our purposes, the important thing to look at is his left arm, which is bent at the elbow. On the right, Albert Pujols is in the middle of his stride, which is largely just picking up the front foot and placing it back down. However, as with Edgar, you can see some bend in Pujols' lead elbow. If you look at the photo in the middle, then you can see Todd Frazier in mid-stride with a completely extended lead arm. There is no bend in his lead elbow, as he is basically using an "arm bar" type swing. He's managed to reduce it a bit at the professional level, but it is still very pronounced in his swing.





The obvious question on this type of swing is whether it prevents the hitter from handling the inside pitches. If the hitter's arms are extended well before contact, then it becomes much more difficult to turn on inside pitches. This has been the concern with Frazier since his professional debut, but he continues to defy expectations. He obviously understands his swing and what he needs to do to make it work for him. At this point, there is yet to be any indication that Frazier cannot be successful with his current swing. Despite the "arm bar," Frazier gets himself into good hitting position in the contact zone, which is the most important consideration.

Again, comparing Frazier with Pujols (see: photos below), you can see a lot of similarities despite the differences in the early stages of their swings. In the contact zone, their lower bodies are in similar positions and they both keep their head down on the ball. In addition, their hips and shoulders have rotated similar amounts, though Frazier has opened up faster. The main difference between the two can be seen by comparing the position of the right arm. Pujols is effectively utilizing both arms in his swing, but the position of Frazier's right arm indicates that his swing is driven largely by strong shoulder rotation and pulling through with his lead arm. That's especially true on inside pitches, as his "arm bar" swing leaves him little option but to speed up the rotation of his shoulders and spin open to get the bat on the ball.












As of now, the concerns about Frazier's swing are being drastically outweighed by his non-stop production. It's undeniably unorthodox, but style always yields to substance. Frazier continues to get the job done. It's been that way since the Little League World Series all the way through to the professional level and there isn't any reason why it can't continue at the higher levels.

DEFENSE AND POSITIONAL VALUE

Over the past few years, the Reds player development philosophy seems to have changed, as they have become very deliberate in advancing prospects up the ladder. One would think an advanced college prospect like Frazier would have reached double-A by now, but the Reds have moved him slowly. In addition, another interesting aspect of the development philosophy is their hesitancy to lock players into a defensive position.

As the Reds have improved their farm system, they have added more talent at every position, which has created logjams at the less demanding defensive positions. Instead of being proactive, the Reds have chosen to keep players in positions where there are unlikely to play at the MLB level. Frazier is the clear example of that, as he is still playing primarily shortstop despite the fact that he simply doesn't project as an MLB shortstop.

Frazier lacks the first step quickness and good footwork needed to play shortstop at the higher levels. That said, he is very fundamentally sound. He has good hands and a strong arm, both of which play very well at third base. In addition, his skill set profiles well in leftfield. Ultimately, the Reds simply need to decide where they need him most and let him learn the nuances of that position. Versatility is great, but Frazier has the ability to be an every day player and it's time the Reds develop him accordingly.

CONCLUSION

Frazier is a very promising prospect. He's a very good athlete and his baseball IQ and overall makeup allow his skill set to play up a tick. His intangibles are very strong, which should make him a good addition on the field and off. Frazier is a heady player who makes his unorthodox swing work for him and once he is given a permanent position, he should be on the fast track to the majors. At this point, Edwin Encarnacion's glove may create an opening at third base and Frazier has the skills to fill that opening. For now, Frazier checks in at #3 on the list and it shouldn't be long before he's making an impact at the MLB level.

Video: Big Fly from Todd Frazier!!

Frazier continues his hot hitting ways in Hawaii. Frazier's climb up the ladder has been impressive and if continues to play as he has, then he'll be in the Majors sooner, rather than later.

His swing certainly is effective, but it's still a bit unorthodox. ESPN's Keith Law stated that Frazier had a hitch in his swing. I'm not sure I'd call it a hitch, but he definitely has rather unorthodox hand action. However, it remains to be seen whether it will slow him down against more advanced competition.

Anyway, enjoy the homer:

Top 25 Prospects: Midseason Update Part 1

Well, we are almost halfway through the season, so it's as good a time as any to check in on the sprouts down on the farm to see who on our Top 25 Prospect List is thriving and who is withering on the vine. Here is how I had them ranked this offseason and how they are doing this season:

1. Jay Bruce - Well, I'm not sure much needs to be said on this one, as Jay lit up triple-A pitching to the tune of .364/.393/.630/1.023, which brought him a well earned promotion to the majors. Bruce wasn't phased much by the big leagues, as he got off to a white hot start and sits now at a more than respectable .300/.386/.470/.856. Pitchers have slowed him down lately, but Bruce will simply need to adjust to their plan of attack. He has too much offensive skill to be held down for long. Get ready for a fun next decade or two, Reds fans.

2. Homer Bailey - Well, while Jay Bruce's path to the majors has been as straight as a string, Homer Bailey's has had more twists and turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco. Homer's triple-A performance really didn't earn him a call-up to the majors, but he got one anyway. At triple-A Louisville, Homer currently sports a 4.07 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 62/31 K/BB ratio. During his most recent stint in the majors, Homer made 3 starts posting an 8.76 ERA, a 2.11 WHIP, and a putrid 3/10 K/BB ratio. He's still young, so he has time to right the ship, but at the MLB level his fastball velocity is down and he seems to lack both command of his pitches and also an out-pitch. Also, his attitude has repeatable been called into question, which is never a good sign for a young ballplayer. The Reds tinkered with Homer's mechanics (including having him bring his hands only to the chest, rather than over the head), but have yet to see positive results. The best thing the organization can do is leave him in triple-A for the rest of the year and force him to actually EARN his next promotion.

3. Johnny Cueto - Johnny's rookie season has been overshadowed by the dominance of fellow rotation member Edinson Volquez. However, unlike the prospect directly above him on the list, Cueto has demonstrated the skills necessary to be a very effective MLB starting pitcher. Three of the main elements of a successful pitcher are walk rate, strikeout rate, and groundball rate. Well, interestingly enough, Cueto is very strong in walk rate and strikeout rate, while Edinson is very strong in strikeout rate and groundball rate. However, Great American Ballpark is more ideally suited to a strong strikeout/groundball pitcher like Edinson, than it is to a low walk/strong strikeout pitcher like Cueto. Over time, Cueto should learn to limit his susceptibility to the long ball, but for now Edinson's game is better tailored to Great American Ballpark. Even so, Cueto should have a long, successful career in Cincinnati.

4. Joey Votto - The Canadian kid has performed about as well as expected, however his production is a bit different than I expected. So far in his big league career, Votto has displayed good power, but only average on base skills. Given his career minor league line of .289/.385/.476/.861, I expected the opposite. Regardless, his career is in its infancy and he should continue to provide professional At Bats in Cincinnati for years to come.

5. Drew Stubbs - Stubbs is still plying his trade at high-A Sarasota, where he started off as hot as a supernova. While he has cooled off as of late, his line is still solid at .267/.381/.405/.786 with 22 steals in 29 attempts. Stubbs came out of the University of Texas with a reputation for tremendous defense, good speed, and light-tower power. He is one of the few Longhorns to ever hit the ball over the scoreboard at Texas. However, his current skill set would seem to have him on track to be a leadoff hitter, as his on-base skills and speed are both above average. Stubbs is what we need to see from more of the Reds prospects: great defensively, strong on-base skills, and a high baseball IQ. If he continues to stay on track, he could be the Reds starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter for good starting opening day of 2010.

6. Todd Frazier - Previously, I wrote: "Todd Frazier is a baseball player. That sentence may not seem like it says much, but in reality it says it all." That statement continues to be true, as Frazier's polished skill-set is enabling him to climb the ranks of the Reds system. He started out back at low-A Dayton, where he pounded pitchers to a tune of .321/.402/.598/1.000 before getting promoted to high-A Sarasota. At Sarasota, Frazier is currently at .288/.347/.485/.832, which doesn't strike the eye as very impressive, but Sarasota is notoriously tough on hitters. Overall, Frazier is one of the brightest lights in the Reds system and his innate understanding of the game allows all of his solid tools to play up a notch. If he continues to perform as he has, Frazier will continue to climb the levels of the farm system and up even higher on this prospect list.

7. Juan Francisco - Juan is another bright light in the farm system and another example of the importance of international scouting in the modern game. Juan is also working at high-A Sarasota, where he has posted a respectable line of .283/.301/.476/.777 in a pitcher friendly park. Francisco has substantial power and is a very good athlete, but he is less polished than Todd Frazier and still has an alarming K/BB ratio of 69/8. It's difficult to envision a hitter have much MLB success without improving on his approach at the plate, so it's a very large red flag. Still, he's a young player and has significant upside, so he's definitely one to keep an eye on.

8. Devin Mesoraco - Mesoraco was held back in extended spring training to start the year, which led to talk that he was destined to head back to the rookie level Pioner League. But, the Reds eventually sent him to low-A Dayton, where Mesoraco begin to make good on his promise and justify his high draft slot. He is currently hitting .276/.331/.397/.727 after following up a slow start with a nice hot streak. As a catcher, Mesoraco has a long way to go in his development, as he has much to learn on both sides of the dish. Still, after an injury plagued season last year and a bit of a poor start in 2008, it's comforting to see Mesoraco play so capably. Mesoraco has a long way to go, but he's demonstrating a great deal of promise.

9. Travis Wood - Wood slid down many prospects list due to an injury plagued 2007, but he has had a strong bounce back year thus far. He posted a very impressive 2.70 ERA and 41/21 K/BB ratio in 46.2 innings at high-A Sarasota. That earned him a promotion to double-A Chattanooga, where he has strong 24/12 K/BB ratio in 23.0 innings pitched. He also has a poor ERA of 6.65, due in large part to back to back games in which he allowed 6 and then 7 earned runs. Still, Wood seems healthy, which should go a long way towards reestablishing him as a quality pitching prospect in the eyes of the national baseball media.

10. Chris Valaika - Valaika is another who slipped down most prospect lists, but he is having a very strong 2008 season. Chris posting a stellar line of .363/.393/.585/.978 at Sarasota and now has a line of .281/.345/.425/.770 at double-A Chattanooga. After some questions emerged about his bat in 2007, Valaika has done his best to answer them in 2008. The jump from A-ball to double-A ball is considered the toughest in the minors, so it'll be interesting to see if Valaika can build on his solid start. In addition, he has improved his defensive play at shortstop to the point that some are wondering whether he might be a legitimate option at shortstop at the big league level, which would only increase his value. Overall, it's been a nice year for Valaika, but he needs to continue to prove that he profiles as more than just a utility infielder at the big league level.

11. Neftali Soto - No one has gotten off to a better start in 2008 than Soto. The Reds assigned him to the rookie league Billings Mustangs, who just got their season underway. In the team's first 5 games, Soto has cranked 4 homeruns and posted a line of .435/.480/1.087/1.567. Soto is a right handed hitter with a beautiful swing. It has a similar fluid grace to Joe DiMaggio's swing. If Soto can be half the MLB player that the Yankee Clipper was, then the Reds will be quite pleased. Personally, I still don't think Soto will be able to stick at shortstop, as he already lacks good first step quickness and will likely only lose range when he inevitably adds weight to his 6'2 frame. Still, Soto is an intriguing prospect and could shoot way up this list if he continues his stellar play.

12. Danny Dorn - Dorn is one of my favorite prospects, but he's had a bit of a strange year. He suffered a knee injury early in the season, which has made it difficult for him to get into a rhythm. Still, Dorn has posted a solid line of .272/.368/.474/.842, which is well down from his amazing performance at double-A last year (1.089 OPS). Even so, the on-base skills are strong and given his lack of top flight power, that is what will drive his career. Another strange aspect to Dorn's season is that the Lookouts are using him at several different positions. So far this season, he's played leftfield, rightfield, quite a bit of firstbase, and spent a lot of time at designated hitter. I'm not sure if the Reds are moving him around because they don't view him as a potential starter, so they are attempting to increase his versatility or if they are taking it easy on his injured knee. Regardless, he'd be better off starting every game in leftfield and I hope to see that happen in the near future.

13. Matt Maloney - It's been a tale of two seasons for Maloney, as he started out 2008 with very poor results. However, he's been much better as of late, which has earned him an ERA of 4.93, a whip of 1.37, and a stellar K/BB ratio of 78/28 in 84.0 innings pitched. His peripherals have been solid all year, so a large part of his struggles seem to be poor luck. His BABIP for the season is .331 and his Fielding Independent Pitching has been 3.98, which is much more impressive than his 4.93 ERA. Overall, Maloney has had a deceptively solid season and as the sample size increases his ERA and WHIP should regress to the mean. He should make his debut in Cincinnati later this summer.

14. Josh Ravin - Turning to one of my other favorite prospects, the Reds kept Ravin in extended spring training, but eventually sent him to low-A Dayton. At Dayton, Ravin has shown flashes of brilliance, but also struggled with his command. Ravin fell off of most prospect lists because of his terrible control in 2007. However, I've always loved his mechanics, which should help his command come around, and his pure stuff, so I still rate him highly. At Dayton, Ravin has posted the following: 5.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and a K/BB ratio of 24/16 in 27.0 innings. Clearly, the stuff is there, as he's striking out almost a batter an inning, but it's hard not to be disappointed in the control. However, he's young and I still wouldn't change his ranking on this list, as I'm a true believer. For me, he's definitely someone to watch. Now, if he could only find a consistent arm slot, the sky would be the limit.

15. Adam Rosales - Rosales had a very impressive spring training and he turned all of the right heads in the Reds organization. In addition, he has no longer been relegated to 1b, which is where he spent most of last season due to an elbow injury. So, with the elbow injury no longer of concern, Rosales has been able to climb back up the defensive spectrum, which has really helped him regain some of the value he lost at first base. Still, despite all these positives, Rosales has really struggled at the plate with triple-A Louisville, where he is hitting a paltry .215/.279/.318/.597. Unfortunately, he seems to have given back some of the gains he made in Spring Training. At this point, he seems to be a real long shot to be anything more than a utility infielder at the MLB level.


Well, that's how the first 15 stack up, so the next installment will feature #16-25 and the Other Notables. I'm sure you won't want to miss that!!!

Top Prospect List: #6 Todd Frazier, ss

Todd Frazier is a baseball player. That sentence may not seem like it says much, but in reality it says it all. The description seems to fit him better than most. In fact, it seems to describe him through and through.

Frazier started his baseball career out strong, by leading his Toms River New Jersey team to the Little League World Series title in 1998. Baseball is in his blood. He even has two brothers who have played professionally. Frazier continued his career at the University of Rutgers, where he posted a .897 OPS in 2005, a 1.070 OPS in 2006, and a 1.259 in 2007.

The Reds drafted Frazier out of the University of Rutgers with the 34th overall pick in the 2007 draft. The Reds received the 34th overall pick as compensation for losing free agent Rich Aurilia, which again just illustrates the importance of embracing a degree of player turnover. On top of his overall impressive skill set, Frazier has a tremendous understanding of the game. Some players have the athletic ability, but not the baseball IQ. Others have the baseball IQ, but not the skill set. Frazier is one of the few prospects who possesses both.

He'll be 22 years old to start the 2008 seasons. He's 6'3", 215 lbs, bats right, and throws right.

PROFESSIONAL BALL

Frazier didn't waste any time making his mark in the professional ranks. The Reds sent him to Billings of the Pioneer league, where he posted a most impressive .319/.409/.513/.922 in 160 At Bats. To top it off, Frazier posted an impressive 22/18 K/BB ratio and had 5 home runs. His performance earned him a promotion to low-A Dayton, where he continued his offensive tear against the more advanced competition.

At Dayton, Frazier hit .318/.375/.727/1.102 in 22 At Bats with 2 home runs in 22 At Bats. In addition, he had a 4/2 K/BB ratio.

All in all, it's hard to imagine a more impressive start to a career. Frazier not only displayed tremendous hitting ability, but also very strong plate discipline. He clearly has a well rounded offensive skill set, including the plate discipline that so few young prospects possess.

OFFENSE

Frazier has plus power with a line-drive swing. He uses a fairly wide stance with a small stride. He has good bat speed, despite a slightly unorthodox technique that robs his swing of any aesthetic beauty. Frazier uses a slight hand twitch as a trigger mechanism to start his swing. It may cause problems in the future, but for now it isn't impacting his performance. A better fastball found at the more advanced levels may be able to find a hole in the swing caused by the trigger, but so far so good.

Frazier has a polished approach and demonstrates good control of the strikezone, which enables him to post strong on-base numbers. When he does get on base, Frazier acquits himself well. He lacks top notch speed, but he's a smart baserunner and a good percentage player.

Frazier isn't the most graceful ballplayer, but his approach works well for him, and production always trumps style. It'll be interesting to see how he performs at the upper levels, as polished college players should have good success at the rookie level and A ball. However, the real test for Frazier will come against Double-A pitching.

You can access an ESPN video about Frazier here.

DEFENSE

Frazier has a fundamentally sound game. He gets in good fielding position, but his footwork is suspect. He lacks first step quickness, so his range is below average at short. He's a big guy who just doesn't move all that well at shortstop. His arm strength is above average and he has good accuracy. However, his skills and defensive abilities profile well at the hot corner. The Reds are likely to move him to third sooner rather than later.

FUTURE

Frazier has all the tools to be an impact player in the Major Leagues, but its more than his baseball skills that make him a blue chip prospect, its the intangibles. Scouts rave about Frazier's baseball IQ and instincts. Frazier's style is a bit unorthodox, but its been working very well for him. It'll be interesting to see if more advanced competition can expose any weaknesses in Frazier's game. Until that time, he'll continue to roll, all the way up the organizational ladder.

For now, Frazier sits at #6 on the list.