"Grisham has gone from fourth outfielder to the top center fielder in the class within six months. He picked a great time for the best season of his career. Grisham connected on 34 home runs, doubling his previous season high. He pushed his already strong walk rate to a career-high 14.1% clip while cutting his strikeouts (23.6%) to the lowest mark in four years. The end result was a .235/.348/.464 slash line across 581 plate appearances."
"It's not entirely fair to say that came out of nowhere. Grisham is a former top prospect who had a couple strong seasons with the Padres early in his career. He had hit just .191/.298/.353 in nearly 1300 trips to the plate from 2022-24, however, so almost no one would have seen a season like this coming. The breakout was neither a product of batted ball luck nor Yankee Stadium."
"Grisham posted well above-average marks in hard hit rate, barrels and average exit velocity. Statcast's expected batting average and slugging percentage (based on his plate discipline, exit velocities and launch angles) were even better than his actual production. That doesn't necessarily mean the numbers are sustainable. Even if this year's results were "deserved," there's no guarantee he'll continue swinging the bat as well as he did."
Offseason planning has turned toward free-agent targets, and center field remains a weak position this winter. A handful of potential regulars face questions about offensive consistency and how long they can play up the middle. Ages listed are for the 2026 season. Grisham rose from a fourth outfielder role to the top center fielder in the class after a career-best season that included 34 home runs, a .235/.348/.464 slash line across 581 plate appearances, a 14.1% walk rate, and reduced strikeouts. He was a former top prospect with earlier success in San Diego but had struggled from 2022–24. Statcast and batted-ball data backed his breakout, yet there is uncertainty about whether the performance and plate discipline can be sustained. Defensive grades declined.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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