If you have happened to stumble across a Pirates social media post over the past few days, you probably saw a pretty simple message.
“Vote 4 Fraz.”
The Pirates' newly rebranded “Adam Frazier Stan Accounts” on Twitter and Instagram have been leading the charge to get the second baseman elected to start in the All-Star Game in Denver next month.
That doesn’t mean Frazier himself has been stuffing the ballot box.
"I guess I could but I haven't, no,” Frazier said over Zoom Wednesday. “Let everybody else take care of that."
So far, they are taking care of things. In the first phase of All-Star voting, Frazier finished second behind Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies. That was good enough to secure a spot in the second and final phase of voting, where he has jumped out in front.
The second phase of voting began June 28 and concludes July 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
He certainly is worthy of an All-Star nod. Frazier’s 99 hits and 24 doubles are both the second-most in baseball (Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos leads both categories) and his .870 OPS is tops among National League second basemen.
Frazier’s focus is on taking things one day at a time and trying to help the team win, but he had to admit…
“To make that game or to start that game would be an unbelievable dream come true," Frazier said.
While the Pirates are in last place in the National League Central and near the bottom of most offensive categories, Frazier’s surge in votes is arguably the best out of anyone in this second phase. Frazier leads the second phase voting with 46%, Albies at 36% and Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux at 18%.
“I think it’s great,” Derek Shelton said via Zoom Tuesday. “It shows how passionate our fans are and how aware they are of how good a year Adam Frazier is having. And I would encourage them to continue to vote to put him in that spot because he deserves it.”
Getting the start would be a fitting tribute for Frazier, whose time as a Pirate will almost certainly come to an end next month. He is one of the most coveted players on the trade market, and with the Pirates years away from being competitive, he will probably get dealt before the July 30 deadline.
Frazier isn’t new to these trade rumors. They began during the 2019 offseason and popped up again during the last trade deadline and last winter, though this time they are much more serious.
It's just something else that he is trying to block out right now.
“I've got a bunch of other stuff going on to worry about,” Frazier said. “It’s been going on for three years now. Just learn to be where my feet are and have a good time playing baseball and try to do everything I can to win a game every day.”
