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RU Alum Todd Frazier off to the best start of his MLB career

By Aaron Breitman

More than a month into the MLB season, Rutgers Alumus Todd Frazier is picking up where he left off after making his first All Star appearance last season with the Cincinnati Reds.  He is currently second in the National League in Home Runs with 12, trailing Bryce Harper who has 13.  In addition, Frazier is amongst the NL leaders in five other categories: 25 Runs (8th), 23 RBI (9th), 6 Stolen Bases (8th), a .583 Slugging % (6th), and a .934 OPS % (9th).  For those that like sabermetrics, Frazier currently has a 1.9 Wins Above Replacement value (6th).

Last year Frazier emerged as an All Star hitting .273 with 29 HR, 80 RBI, 88 Runs, and 20 Steals.  The former Big East Player of the year and unanimous All American was selected 34th overall in the 2007 draft.  Now in his fourth full season in the big leagues, Frazier is starting to blossom into a legitimate star.  Frazier bats cleanup in between established Reds stars, Joey Votto and Brandon Philips, and should continue to flourish in that lineup.

Frazier established his baseball prowess winning the Little League World Series for Toms Rivers in 1998 as the winning pitcher in the championship game while also hitting 4-4 with a HR.

In addition, Frazier is a hero off the field.  He famously saved a man's life by successfully performing the Heimlich maneuver while out to lunch in Pittsburgh in 2012.

This NJ and Rutgers son even plays Sinatra as his walk up at bat music during games.  He showed his Jersey pride in this tweet last night:

Here is to rooting for Frazier to continue his tremendous start on the season once the summer winds pick up!