clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

A Look Back at Todd Frazier's 2015 Season

By KellyMontagna
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
With the MLB Playoffs in full swing, we would be remiss to not take a look back at the breakout season one former Rutgers star had in 2015. Todd Frazier proved himself as a franchise player and building block for the Cincinnati Reds team that finished the season with a disappointing record of 64-98.

Frazier started the 2015 season red hot and ended the season number thirteen in jersey sales in the MLB. In between, there were plenty of highs, a few lows, but more than anything, reasons for optimism for the future in Cincinnati.

The 29-year old third baseman had a blistering first half of the season, with 25 home runs and 57 RBIs, numbers that would be considered a success for most players' full season. One such homer registered was Frazier's first career grand slam against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 21st.

With such an impressive showing in the season's first half, Frazier was invited to partake for the second consecutive season in July's All Star activities, taking place in Cincinnati. In dramatic fashion, Frazier edged out Dodgers' rookie phenom Joc Pederson 15-14 in the final round of the Home Run Derby to take the crown. Frazier was feeling it all night, as his homers were getting tattooed, averaging a flight of 420 feet. He also became the first hometown participant to win the Home Run Derby since Ryne Sandberg did it at Wrigley Field in 1990.

Frazier cooled off during the second half of the season, hitting just 10 home runs and 32 RBIs after the All Star Break. However, Frazier was still able to register some note worthy highlights in the dog days of summer, joining some elite company in the process; he became just the second Reds player in history to hit at least 40 doubles and 35 home runs in a single season. The other player was Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who accomplished the feat in 1962. In regards to joining Robinson as the only Reds player to do this, Frazier humbly acknowledged on Twitter the "craziness" of being mentioned alongside Robinson.

Although the Reds had a disappointing season in 2015, they do have a number of capable playmakers alongside Frazier, including Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Aroldis Chapman. While the Reds play in baseball's toughest division in the NL Central, featuring the Cubs, Cardinals, and Pirates, if Frazier and crew play up to their potential next season, they will have a chance to make some noise in the MLB.