YES Yankees broadcasters Jeff Nelson and Todd Frazier take a swing at some Opening Day Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What is your advice for Anthony Volpe?
Frazier: I would tell him: Listen, be yourself. You know where you’re from, you know your roots, you know how to play the game of baseball, go out there, and hit the pitches you know how to hit, don’t try and do too much ’cause that’s when mistakes happen. And when you do make those mistakes, understand that that’s part of life, that’s part of baseball. Move on and focus on what you can control, and that’s swinging at strikes, that’s making the plays and just getting the job done.
Nelson: I would say: Don’t do anything different than you did in spring training. I think there’s three different seasons, you have spring training, you have the regular season and the postseason. The one thing [Derek] Jeter did so well is that he didn’t make any one of those seasons any different. So for Volpe, he can’t elevate his game any greater than what he just did in spring training. You can’t do any more. Be yourself and be that guy that everybody saw in spring training. Yes it’s the regular season and now it means something, but enjoy the time, enjoy the team that you grew up watching, and be a part something that could be special. But don’t do anything different. Don’t make the experience any bigger or the game any bigger than what it really is.
Q: What have you observed from a tools standpoint?
Frazier: It’s the intangibles. It’s the little things that most players have, but don’t know how to use ’em. … Will he hit 40 home runs? Probably not. But he’s gonna be a guy that’s gonna get on base and be the sparkplug.
Nelson: He plays an excellent shortstop. He covers so much ground, he has great range, he makes the easy play, he makes the tough play, and he does have a decent enough arm that he makes it at shortstop. He knows exactly where to be, where to throw the ball, any of the moments that he’s in he’s not overwhelmed by so he doesn’t really get confused on where to be, where to throw the ball. Even at the plate, he’s very aggressive in hitters’ counts, he’ll fight pitchers off throwing some nasty pitches to get you out. And he hits to all fields, he has power and he has great speed. I probably see him as a top-of-the-lineup type guy, because I would want that speed on the bases for [Aaron] Judge and [Anthony] Rizzo and [Giancarlo] Stanton.
Q: What can Judge do for an encore?
Nelson: (Laugh) Go hit 63. It’s not that he can’t do it again — he’s got the talent and the power to do it every year if he wanted — but is it gonna happen in another 61 years? Who knows? Same advice or same thing I said about Anthony Volpe: You can’t go out and be any better than what you were last year. Very few players are like Aaron Judge, and I think he knows that. So I think he has a great head, he has a great perspective on what he wants to do this year. Obviously winning a World Series probably means more to him now than anything. But he can’t duplicate what he did last year, or try to duplicate it.
Frazier: Hit 60-what, 63 home runs and lead the team to a World Series championship? That would be an encore, right? No, but just keep dominating. When he lays off pitches that are balls and understands that these pitchers aren’t gonna throw that many strikes to you, which he’s done well, when he understands that listen, I’m gonna take my walks even more this year, ’cause when he does get that good pitch and it will come, he’s gonna go gap-to-gap, he’s gonna get his home runs and it’s gonna be another fun year to watch for him. I think the biggest thing for him is you got the home run record, you don’t necessarily need home runs now all the time. You find the gap, get that easy single and good things’ll end up happening.
Q: Describe Rizzo’s indispensable defense at first base.
Nelson: I think he’s one of the better first basemen in the game. Defensively, he helps out an infielder — he reminds me of Tino Martinez in a sense with the opposite hand. You throw something in the dirt, you throw something high, he has the ability to know where the base is. Even on bunt plays, he’s like right down the hitter’s neck. He’s ready all the time. Very few first basemen are like that.
Frazier: There’s nothing smoother and better than seeing a guy at first base, a Gold Glove winner, picking a ball at first base. I actually emulated my first base game after him ’cause he was so smooth. I don’t think I made it as smooth as him, but, he’s a funny guy, he took from me how to steal second base ’cause I had a running lead, a walking lead and he always said, “Fraz, I kind of took what you did and took off with it.” It’s understandable when you make a bad throw, he’s gonna be there to pick it, and that’s huge comfort for all infielders in any spot.
Q: What are your thoughts about the rotation?
Frazier: If healthy, it’s gonna be one of the best rotations in Major League Baseball. The pickup of Carlos Rodon was huge. I played with him in Chicago in ’17, a little bit of ’18, he’s a bulldog. This is a guy you want on the mound every fifth day. He’s a No. 1 starter for more than half the teams in the big leagues.
Nelson: [Rodon is] a strikeout guy. Nothing ever bothers him. You love his attitude on the mound. He’s another guy that reminds me of [Gerrit] Cole or [Max] Scherzer. … He doesn’t want to come out. He might tax the bullpen every now and then because he’s a strikeout guy.
Q: What do you think of Clay Holmes as the closer?
Frazier: I love Clay. Played with him in Pittsburgh. He’s just got so much movement on his fastball, people don’t really understand. If he’s throwing that two-seamer for strikes and getting guys swinging at the balls that he did in the beginning of the season, he’s gonna be one of the most dominant closers in the league.
Q: Nelson: With his sinker, if he can stay consistent enough, and if he dominates the strike zone — he’s got a power sinker in the upper 90s and it’s very tough for a hitter to pick up — if he can get back to the way he was when he was closing when [Aroldis] Chapman was out, then I think he’s gonna be solid down there.
Q: What do you think of Michael King’s return?
Frazier: Him and Ron Marinaccio, I’m looking for really, really great seasons from both of them, whether they come in in the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth.
Nelson: [Jonathan] Loaisiga is a guy that you mix in with Marinaccio and also King. All three of those guys can get lefties out so really don’t have to worry about, “Oh I need to get a nasty lefty out,” because you have [Wandy] Peralta.
Q: Describe Josh Donaldson.
Frazier: It’s a big year for him, big comeback year. He’s played in New York now, he understands the circumstances, what everybody expects. He knows it and I know it how dominant of a third baseman he can be, and I’m expecting big, big numbers from him this year.
Nelson: I like his edge, I like the way he plays the game. Anybody that comes to the Yankees for the first time, that first year, first few months, it’s a huge adjustment. You’re putting on a uniform that knows nothing but winning. It’s the greatest sports franchise and winningest franchise in history, of any sport, and I think people feel that. And also having the shortened spring training [2022 lockout] and all eyes are on you, and you better start contributing. Now defensively he’s one of the best third basemen in the game, that’ll never change. He wants everybody to see how he can play. Is he an MVP type like he was? Probably not, but if he hits 25 and knocks in 80, I’m taking it.
Q: Jose Trevino?
Nelson: Offensively, whatever you get, the most important part is [he and Kyle Higashioka are] great receivers, and they can throw guys out.
Frazier: One of the top catchers in the league by getting away with balls being strikes. He’s just gonna be that catcher that you need. Hit around .240-.250, get your singles, get your doubles, but help your pitching staff out. We want him more for defense, but when he can come to play and he gets hot a little bit, watch out because he’ll go gap-to-gap as well.
Q: DJ LeMahieu?
Frazier: Whether he’s leading off or not, fun to watch. Keep going the other way. If his mindset is right field, right center, he’s gonna be a very unstoppable hitter. I don’t know what position he’s gonna be playing at, he’s gonna be bouncing around I assume again. I remember him in Colorado, man, he was just so hard to figure out where to position, and then when you got guys on the ropes like that, and now, you can’t shift or anything like that, watch out.
Nelson: The best hitter on the team. The guy hits to all fields, he’s just a magician at the plate. He’s very hard to pitch to because he doesn’t really have a hole that you can get him out with.
Q: Harrison Bader?
Nelson: He has no regards for his body as far as he’s gonna lay out, he’s gonna dive, he’ll run into walls. He’s a very confident guy, which I like. You don’t need any timid players, especially in New York. He gets dirty, he leaves it all on the field, and I love it.
Frazier: Sparkplug. He’s the energy guy, you always need a guy like that in the clubhouse. He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s gonna make some really good plays out in center field. It’s a lot of ground to cover there, people don’t understand how big that outfield is in center field. He can handle it with ease.
Q: Aaron Hicks?
Frazier: This is his make-or-break year. It’s go-time now. There’s no more excuses, he’s gotta get out there and get after it.
Nelson: The shift will help him. I see that he’s choking up now. I was seeing 0-2 swings, 1-2 swings, they weren’t shortened up, he wasn’t trying to make contact, he was saying, “The only way I can hit through a shift is try to knock the ball out of the park,” and it just didn’t work. Not having the shift I think now gives him the opportunity where he’s able to relax a little bit and says, “There’s base hits there.”
Q: Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield?
Frazier: Why not, man? He’s always been a big bat. Ever since he’s come up in the minor leagues, that’s the guy that you never wanted to get up. He’s got a great arm. He’s a good defender. When he positions himself right, he’s gonna make the plays. Can’t shift anymore, so there’s gonna be more holes. So don’t feel like you have to not drive the ball down to the left-field side, go that way, you’ll find some holes, and let it fly, baby.
Q: Judge in left field?
Frazier: I like him in any position, to be honest with you. He’s got one of the best arms in the big leagues. People don’t talk much about how good of a jump he gets in the outfield. They just see this big guy lugging around, but he’s got some good first-step speed.
Nelson: He plays a great right field, he’ll play a great left field. And plus, I think he realizes that maybe Stanton’s more comfortable in right, and the Yankees in my opinion need Stanton to be in the field more. I’ve been around with Edgar Martinez for years, and there’s very few guys like that can embrace the DH role, because they have no idea what to do in-between at bats.
Q: Gleyber Torres?
Nelson: He’s gonna have to cover a whole lot more ground now. You’re gonna see the talent, you’re gonna see how much ground can this guy actually cover? Can he be that guy that moves and makes the tough play? That’s why I like not having the shift because you’re gonna see a lot of athletic players now. And he’s in a lineup now that I think maybe he can even relax. If he can get rid of all the trade rumors, he has to embrace that and say, “Hey, I’m a Yankee and I know you want to try to move me, but hey, this is what you’re gonna miss if not.”
Frazier: The same thing with him and Hicks: When you get in there, open some eyes and make ’em not want to take you out of the ballgame because of what you’re proving to us on the field.
Q: Aaron Boone?
Nelson: I think he’s a great communicator, and that’s so important nowadays. These guys know exactly when they’re playing, what they’re doing, he’s a great motivator. I love Joe Torre, he was the same way as far as being a motivator, he didn’t have a doghouse … and he’s good with the media. It’s so important to be good with the media, especially in New York. Aaron Boone’s gotta have a thick skin. Hopefully he doesn’t look at social media and all that stuff about he shouldn’t be there. Just ignore all that stuff and I think he does.
Frazier: Just a great manager, he’s a players’ coach, he’s gonna have your back throughout the whole season. He’s that guy that you want in your dugout getting the boys going.
Q: Who could be an X factor?
Frazier: DJ LeMahieu and Clay Holmes.
Nelson: Josh Donaldson.
Q: What do you think of the AL East?
Nelson: It’s gonna be the Yankees and the Blue Jays.
Frazier: It’s gonna be an absolute battle. I think it’s gonna be one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and it’s gonna come down to who wants it more, and who’s gonna be healthy.
Q: The pitch clock?
Frazier: I like it. Games are gonna be quicker. I’m gonna be able to (chuckle) get a few more root beers after each game now. But I think the players are all into it and like it and understand baseball did need this. But I don’t want it to ruin the game at the end of the game, that’s the only thing that I’m nervous about, worried about. The only thing they should change is come playoff time maybe get rid of it just because people want to wait 20, 25 seconds in between — all right, what’s he gonna throw? Here we go, let’s wait for the pitch, everybody’s on their toes. And then all of a sudden, you’re going too fast and then it takes away from it. But during the regular season, I love it.
Nelson: I like it. I think sometimes it helps a pitcher that winds up thinking too much. It could go the other way too, ’cause you’re taught as a player to slow the game down. I like how smooth the game has been. The only thing I’m not going to like, and I hope it doesn’t happen, I don’t want to see a game end in a violation. I don’t want Aaron Judge being up at the plate with two outs and bases loaded and all of a sudden it’s a two strike count, and he’s not glaring at the pitcher with 8 seconds and all of a sudden some stupid umpire goes, “Oh that’s it, the game’s over.”
Q: Describe Todd Frazier in the YES booth.
Frazier: Interviews, analytical work, broadcasting — it’s a guy, I’m at a bar shooting the s –t, lack for better words, with somebody, and you’re gonna get natural Todd Frazier, man. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, I’m not gonna be that guy that’s gonna cause controversy, or knock somebody down for doing bad because — guess what? — I’ve been there before. I’m gonna be fair, and I’m gonna root on my team, I’m gonna root for the Yankees. I want ’em to do good just as the next fan, and they’re gonna love what I talk about, it’s gonna be baseball talk, it’s gonna be player talk from somebody who’s been there before, especially recently. I know what they’re going through, and I want ’em to have a great year, and you’re gonna hear awesome verbiage, and we’re gonna have a really good chat basically on all these guys.
Q: Jeff Nelson in the YES booth.
Nelson: I love explaining the game. I love looking forward at what might happen. I don’t sugarcoat things. I’ll never bury a player, but I’ll explain why he didn’t do well. I’ll explain about a pitcher why he’s having trouble throwing a certain pitch. And I’ll also praise why they are doing well. I’m not big on analytics, I’m not gonna tell you launch angle or exit velocity, but I’ll tell you about the nuts and bolts of the game. I’ll explain to a viewer something that he doesn’t know, or maybe he’s never heard of before.
Q: What are your biggest Yankees concerns?
Frazier: The injuries are No. 1. No. 2, finishing the game. Stepping on somebody’s throat at the end of games. When you’re up 5-2, get two or three more runs. Those kind of things, which kind of hurt them last year with teams coming back. But if everybody’s healthy, it’s a different story.
Nelson: The health of the pitching.
Q: Describe Yankees fans.
Nelson: I think the best fans in baseball. I think they are just aching for this team to get back to the World Series. They live and die with the N.Y., just like Met fans. They’re very knowledgeable, and they’re not easily fooled.
Frazier: Oh, they’re the greatest fans, man. Growing up in New Jersey, in the New York area, you understood if you did well, they’re gonna love ya. If you don’t, they’re gonna be all over ya. And I think that’s great because — guess what? — you don’t want to be too comfortable in anything you do. You want to expect greatness out of yourself, and the fans expect greatness out of you. You’re working your butt off, this is your job. Take it with a grain of salt though as a player because — guess what? — they want the best out of you every single day. They don’t care if you hit that walk-off yesterday, if you strike out three times the next day you’re gonna hear it. That’s what I love about Yankee baseball, some people can handle it and some people can’t, and only the strong survive. So Yankee fans, be ready to go.
Q: Do you think the Astros have a psychological advantage over the Yankees?
Frazier: I think every player and person with the Yankees understands that Houston does have our number. But I don’t think it’s in their heads, I think they understand that. But everybody’s human. It’s reality. We can’t beat the Astros, and it’s something that we gotta get over. One guy’s gotta step up, one guy’s gotta come through. It’s just like hitting, it’s contagious. Once it gets going, then hopefully the line starts changing and we see it go to a different direction.
Nelson: I think the Astros walk on with an arrogance, a good arrogance, that they can beat everyone. … They have in the last few years. It reminds me a little bit of the attitude that we had in the ’90s that we knew we were gonna beat everyone. … You look how the Yankees have such success over Minnesota and I think you gotta try to channel that energy, that every time you played Minnesota in the playoff that you knew you were gonna win, and I think they gotta get that feeling like the Astros every time, whoever they play they feel that they can beat. … I think you have to go out with a chip on your shoulder, with an edge. You can go do it during the regular season, but who cares what you do in the regular season? It’s gotta happen when you see the Astros in the postseason, that’s where that attitude’s gonna have to change, that’s where that chip on the shoulder’s gonna have to change.
