Matt Fraizer Stats & Scouting Report

AB	138
AVG	.261
OBP	.325
SLG	.406
HR	3

Full name Matthew Teran Fraizer
Born 01/12/1998 in Fresno, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Arizona
Drafted in the 3rd round (95th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 (signed for $525,000).

View Draft Report

Fraizer was showing enough improvement at the beginning of his junior season to garner early Day 2 draft hype. After his first 19 games, the uber-athletic outfielder was hitting .412/.452/.565 with only six strikeouts in nearly 100 plate appearances while also showing improved defense in center field. However, a broken hamate bone sidelined Fraizer following his encouraging start. When healthy, Fraizer was not only making more frequent contact, but he was also tapping into his average power more often. In the long term, he projects as a gap-to-gap hitter with more doubles than home runs. His defense has improved enough over his college career that he should be able to stay in center field, where his plus speed and fringe-average arm play nicely. Even with the injury, Fraizer still has a good chance of being drafted on Day 2.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Fraizer was the Pirates system’s breakout star in 2021. He underwhelmed in his 2019 pro debut, posting a .553 OPS in 43 games for short-season West Virginia. The pandemic wiped out Fraizer’s 2020 season like many others, but he broke out with High-A Greensboro in 2021, hitting .314/.401/.578 to lead High-A West in all three triple-slash categories. He was one of the few Pirates prospects to earn a midseason promotion. He joined Double-A Altoona in August.

Scouting Report: Fraizer’s revelatory season was rooted in a series of changes to simplify his swing and approach, allowing him to access his raw tools more consistently. He quieted his hands to eliminate counter-movement during his load, better incorporated his lower half and sought more extension to drive the ball in the air. Fraizer hit plenty of ground balls to start the season, but he began showing power to all fields by June as he grew more comfortable with his new swing. Fraizer has impressive overall bat speed and made plenty of hard contact against pitchers of both hands, though his swing can get big at times. He’s a plus runner who has a shot to stick in center field, but his fringe-average arm may play better in left.

The Future: Fraizer tapped into his power more consistently than at any point in his career, and the outfield-needy Pirates took notice. Now, he’ll have to prove his swing changes against upper-level pitchers.

Draft Prospects

Fraizer was showing enough improvement at the beginning of his junior season to garner early Day 2 draft hype. After his first 19 games, the uber-athletic outfielder was hitting .412/.452/.565 with only six strikeouts in nearly 100 plate appearances while also showing improved defense in center field. However, a broken hamate bone sidelined Fraizer following his encouraging start. When healthy, Fraizer was not only making more frequent contact, but he was also tapping into his average power more often. In the long term, he projects as a gap-to-gap hitter with more doubles than home runs. His defense has improved enough over his college career that he should be able to stay in center field, where his plus speed and fringe-average arm play nicely. Even with the injury, Fraizer still has a good chance of being drafted on Day 2.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: Fraizer was the Pirates system&#39s breakout star in 2021. He underwhelmed in his 2019 pro debut, posting a .553 OPS in 43 games for short-season West Virginia. The pandemic wiped out Fraizer&#39s 2020 season like many others, but he broke out with High-A Greensboro in 2021, hitting .314/.401/.578 to lead High-A West in all three triple-slash categories. He was one of the few Pirates prospects to earn a midseason promotion. He joined Double-A Altoona in August.

Scouting Report: Fraizer&#39s revelatory season was rooted in a series of changes to simplify his swing and approach, allowing him to access his raw tools more consistently. He quieted his hands to eliminate counter-movement during his load, better incorporated his lower half and sought more extension to drive the ball in the air. Fraizer hit plenty of ground balls to start the season, but he began showing power to all fields by June as he grew more comfortable with his new swing. Fraizer has impressive overall bat speed and made plenty of hard contact against pitchers of both hands, though his swing can get big at times. He&#39s a plus runner who has a shot to stick in center field, but his fringe-average arm may play better in left.

The Future: Fraizer tapped into his power more consistently than at any point in his career, and the outfield-needy Pirates took notice. Now, he&#39ll have to prove his swing changes against upper-level pitchers.
Track Record: Fraizer was the Pirates system’s breakout star in 2021. He underwhelmed in his 2019 pro debut, posting a .553 OPS in 43 games for short-season West Virginia. The pandemic wiped out Fraizer’s 2020 season like many others, but he broke out with High-A Greensboro in 2021, hitting .314/.401/.578 to lead High-A West in all three triple-slash categories. He was one of the few Pirates prospects to earn a midseason promotion. He joined Double-A Altoona in August.

Scouting Report: Fraizer’s revelatory season was rooted in a series of changes to simplify his swing and approach, allowing him to access his raw tools more consistently. He quieted his hands to eliminate counter-movement during his load, better incorporated his lower half and sought more extension to drive the ball in the air. Fraizer hit plenty of ground balls to start the season, but he began showing power to all fields by June as he grew more comfortable with his new swing. Fraizer has impressive overall bat speed and made plenty of hard contact against pitchers of both hands, though his swing can get big at times. He’s a plus runner who has a shot to stick in center field, but his fringe-average arm may play better in left.

The Future: Fraizer tapped into his power more consistently than at any point in his career, and the outfield-needy Pirates took notice. Now, he’ll have to prove his swing changes against upper-level pitchers.
Few High-A hitters have done as much damage as Fraizer, who is top 10 in average, home runs, OPS and wRC+. The power surge is particularly notable considering he hit .221/.287/.266 with zero homers as a 21-year-old in Low-A in 2019 after Pittsburgh drafted him in the third round out of Arizona. Fraizer re-tooled his swing during the 2020 shutdown, focusing on his balance and impacting the baseball in front of the strike zone to tap more into his above-average raw power. The mechanical changes coupled with renewed plate discipline have helped unlock a breakout year and should result in a promotion to Double-A before long. Defensively, Fraizer has the speed to handle center field but his fringy arm may be better suited for left field.