Adam Frazier follows superstitions to find groove, as Pirates 2B leads majors in hits

May 21—Adam Frazier always has the same explanation for his hitting groove, one that doesn't defy logic so much as it shows his superstitious nature.

Knock on wood.

The Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman got plenty of knocks in the 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings on Thursday night, going 4 for 5 to take over the major league lead in hits (58) and improve his batting average to .339, which ranks second in the National League and fourth in MLB.

How does Frazier explain his consistency?

Simple. By being consistent.

"Doing the same thing every day," Frazier said. "That's the challenge, to stay within myself and remember what I'm doing and telling y'all the same thing every day. That's part of it, too. Knocking on the wood is part of it, too. I mean, I'm pretty superstitious if you can't tell. It's just that: If something's working, you try to remember what you're doing and then stay within that."

That's not hyperbole, either. Asked about his superstitions, Frazier held his hands about a foot apart to show the laundry list of deliberate movements in his daily routine. Then he rattled them off.

"It goes to putting your toothbrush on the right side of the sink, left side of the sink. You've got which side of the toothpaste is facing upwards," Frazier said, with a grin. "That's where it starts, at the beginning of the day."

Oh, but that's only the beginning.

Frazier has routines within his routine, starting once he gets to the ballpark and puts on his uniform. That's when his obsessive compulsive habits take over and his tendencies turn into necessities.

"From which foot I put on the bench to tie my cleats — I don't tie my cleats until I get out in the dugout — to what bat cubby I put the helmet in, to what batting glove I put on first, to what spray hands with stick stuff first," Frazier said. "And then if it doesn't work for a few at-bats, you change it. You change something. And if that works, you keep going. And then you change the bat. If the one little cubby doesn't have any hits, you change it. If the shower doesn't have any hits, you change it. If the shower has hits, you wait until somebody gets out of that shower before you get in it. I mean, that's a few of them."

It's all working, as Frazier is batting .392 (29 for 74) in May.

That has less to do with Frazier following his superstitions as it does rediscovering his swing. Frazier has simplified his approach, finding cues that have helped his timing, and is focusing on not trying to do too much and staying on top of the ball.

"When you're on time, you see the ball a little longer and you're able to stay within the zone and not chase pitches as much," Frazier said. "When you make big league pitchers come into the zone, you have a better chance for success."

For the Athens, Ga., native, playing against the Braves is a homecoming that brings out his best. Frazier improved his batting average to .368 (14 for 38) at Truist Park. Pirates starter Wil Crowe was in awe watching Frazier hit a leadoff double and get three singles, scoring one run and driving in another against the Braves to increase his total bases to 81.

"What Fraz is doing is awesome. It's a testament to who he is as a player, as a worker, as a grinder," Crowe said. "He's someone that you love to play with. Him going out there, it's incredible. Every time he gets on base, I just smile. I just look at him like, 'Holy crap. Another time?' I mean, it's again and again and again and again ... and again!

"It's fun to watch. When someone is in a groove like that and someone is just going about their business the right way, that happens. It's so much fun to watch. He comes up in big moments, and he does what he does. It's so much fun to watch."

So long as Frazier keeps getting knocks, he'll keep knocking on wood.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .