Trent Grisham’s bat has been loud enough to keep him in the conversation, but the Yankees may have a bigger problem on their hands in center field.
After a breakout 2025 season that saw Grisham hit a career-high 34 home runs, New York handed the 29-year-old a $23.05 million qualifying offer. At the time, plenty of fans thought that was a steep price for a player who looked headed for regression. Right now, that skepticism looks a lot more justified.
Grisham has 18 homers this season, but the rest of the line doesn’t help much for a leadoff hitter. His .211/.307/.395 slash line tells the story, and his work in the outfield hasn’t been nearly enough to offset the slump.
On the surface, center field still looks passable. Dig a little deeper, though, and the numbers paint a rougher picture.
FanSided’s Rucker Haringey put it bluntly: "Grisham used to be a plus outfielder, but his legs have really started to go. That's why he now profiles as one of the slowest center fielders in baseball," Haringey wrote.
"There's a logical argument to be made that Spencer Jones should take his place at the challenging defensive spot. Don't count on Boone to make such a seismic shift at such a late date in the regular season."
The advanced metrics back up the concern. Grisham is at -6 outs above average this season, which puts him in the eighth percentile, and he’s been losing more plays than he’s making in center.
Speed has become part of the issue too. His sprint speed of 26.8 feet per second ranks near the bottom of the Majors, a noticeable drop for a player whose value once leaned heavily on range and athleticism.
Grisham still owns two Gold Glove Awards, with the most recent coming in 2022. But four years have passed, and the Yankees have to face the obvious: he isn’t the same outfielder he used to be.
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