Leadoff role helps Adam Frazier in Pirates' competition for starting job

BRADENTON, Fla. – Adam Frazier has value in his versatility, having started games at six positions for the Pirates last season, but what he wants most is to find a home at one.

"Of course, that's everybody's thing, to try to win a starting job on a big-league team," Frazier said Saturday at Pirate City. "That's what you play for your whole life. To have that opportunity right now, you try to take advantage of it and go get it."

Frazier is an early frontrunner for the starting job in left field, partly because of how much he played there last season. Frazier's 44 starts in left were second only to Starling Marte, who had 56 but moves to center field, and nine more than Gregory Polanco, who returns to right.

To earn a starting job, Frazier will contend with Sean Rodriguez, Jose Osuna, Jordan Luplow and Daniel Nava, among others. Frazier also is an option at second base, where he had 35 starts last season, and has also played right field, third base, shortstop and centerfield.

.lemonwhale-embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width:100%; }.lemonwhale-embed-container iframe { position: absolute; top: 0; left:0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

The problem has been Frazier's defense, and he said the biggest adjustment has been getting the

Where Rodriguez has the strongest arm and Osuna the most accurate, Frazier has what manager Clint Hurdle called "an infielder's arm." So, the Pirates are pushing for him to make accurate throws and hit the cutoff. Frazier said he is still adjusting to seeing the ball off the bat and getting both a good read and jump on it but Hurdle said Frazier's speed helps him cover more ground than most in left field at PNC Park.

"I feel good in left field, so I'm excited about that opportunity and trying to make the most of it in any way I can just to help the team win, whether it's in left, whether it's at second or whether it's anywhere else on the field," Frazier said. "Anytime I'm out there, I try to play hard, catch the ball and get outs and do what I can to help us win."

What helps his cause is Frazier's ability to bat leadoff. He hit .275 last season, with six home runs and 53 RBI, when he batted leadoff a team-high 63 times. (Marte was next with 49, followed by Josh Harrison's 29). With Frazier batting first, the Pirates have flexibility in their order.

"It's something I'm comfortable doing," Frazier said. "You get to be the table setter and set the table for these guys in the middle of the order, for the RBIs they like getting," Frazier said. "That's what produces runs. Anytime I'm in that leadoff spot, that's what I'm trying to do: get on base. I've done it my whole life, so it's something that comes natural for me, I guess. From the leadoff spot to anywhere in the lineup, your main goal is to get on base and that's what sets up runs.

"I guess that's my identity, or that's what I like to think of it as. I'm not the big guy that hits all the home runs. My role on the team is you've got to get on base anyway you can, whether it be a hit or walk or whatever that may be. The more pressure you can put on the defense, the better the outcome will be."

Frazier drew more walks than Harrison (36 to 29) while accounting for fewer strikeouts (57, compared to 90). That's a statistic not lost on Hurdle, who also likes Frazier's speed on the base paths and his ability to drive in runs and deliver clutch hits. Frazier hit .355 with runners on base and .326 with runners in scoring position. He also had some highlight moments, hitting an inside-the-park home run at St. Louis and a walk-off home run against Milwaukee last season,

"I just like that dynamic of him going up there," Hurdle said. "He's up there with intent. Some guys look to get on base. He's looking to get on base but he's also got bad intentions with the bat in his hand."

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.