staying power

Adam Frazier is showing some staying power with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mississippi State alum was never a highly rated prospect in the Pirates’ system — No. 27 by both mlb.com and Baseball America entering 2016 — but here he is batting .333 with six runs and three RBIs in 18 games since getting his first big league call-up last month. Frazier, playing second base, hit leadoff for the first time on Thursday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in the Pirates’ 5-3 win over Milwaukee. Drafted in the sixth round out of State in 2013, Frazier batted .299 with a .363 on-base percentage in the minors. At 5 feet 10, 175 pounds, the lefty-hitting Frazier doesn’t hit for a lot of power or steal a ton of bases, but he brings versatility and a bulldog (Bulldog?) mentality to the park everyday. He might prove a valuable piece the rest of the way as Clint Hurdle’s Pirates, currently 49-46 and third in the National League Central, battle for a playoff berth.