NY Yankees Fully Commit to Trent Grisham
The Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Friday night. An opposite-field home run by Ryan McMahon in the eighth inning decided the game.
Center fielder Trent Grisham went 0-for-4. He also made an error in the sixth inning when a ball bounced off his palm and allowed a run.
Stat line vs. underlying metrics
Grisham’s traditional batting line reads .145/.303/.290 this season. The surface numbers look poor.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Batting line | .145/.303/.290 |
| Statcast percentiles | 94th percentile or better — hard-hit, chase, walk rates |
His Statcast profile shows elite plate control and hard contact. He is drawing walks and avoiding bad pitches.
Bat speed concerns
Bat speed has regressed noticeably this year. That limits his ability to reach hittable pitches.
When bat speed drops, hitters fall behind fastballs and foul off hittable pitches. That helps explain the low batting average despite hard contact.
Why the club remains patient
The Yankees have not considered removing him from the leadoff spot. The underlying metrics suggest skill, while results reflect bad variance.
The NY Yankees Fully Commit to Trent Grisham in the leadoff role. Options at the top of the order are limited right now.
Defense and longer-term view
The sixth-inning misplay was concerning, but center field defense is usually a strength for him. One error does not define his value.
The organization appears willing to trust the profile. A player with high walk and hard-hit rates is likely to regress back to expected production.
The Yankees will keep believing the metrics until results catch up. Reported for Filmogaz.com.
