The New York Yankees have built one of the best offenses in baseball, driven by stars and steadied by unheralded role players.
Among those low-key contributors, Trent Grisham has emerged as one of the most dependable bats in their deep outfield rotation.
At 28 years old and in a contract year, Grisham is quietly making a case for long-term value with each consistent at-bat.
He arrived in the blockbuster deal that brought Juan Soto to the Bronx — a throw-in on paper, a weapon in practice.
And even as his numbers begin to level out, the Yankees know exactly what kind of presence they’re getting every night.
The underlying metrics say more than the box score
Grisham’s slash line — .239/.341/.483 — doesn’t scream All-Star, but the quality of contact behind it absolutely deserves attention.
He ranks in the 89th percentile in barrel rate and an elite 98th percentile in chase rate, showing strong discipline and power.
That combo means he’s rarely swinging at junk, and when he connects, the ball jumps off his bat with purpose.
He’s also making smart use of Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch, pulling the ball with natural lift and confidence.
His 13 home runs and .824 OPS reflect a hitter who knows what he’s doing — even if he’s slotted as a fourth outfielder.
Manager Aaron Boone is seeing the same thing
Yankees manager Aaron Boone doesn’t need to look at a spreadsheet to know Trent Grisham is putting together quality at-bats.
“Really good — for me, not much has changed,” Boone said before a 9–6 win over the Red Sox this past week.
“Generally speaking, gets deep in the count, not chasing,” Boone continued, via Greg Joyce of the NYP. “The quality of at-bat’s been there the entire season.”
Even when the hits aren’t falling, Grisham’s plate discipline and approach make him tough to pitch to and a headache for opponents.
It’s the type of performance that rarely gets headlines but wins games when the spotlight fades to the corners of the lineup.
The recent slump might be misleading
Grisham cooled off a bit in May and hasn’t caught fire in June, but his expected numbers tell a different story.
With a .530 expected slugging percentage and .262 expected batting average, he’s hitting into some bad luck at the moment.
The contact quality is still excellent — he’s just not finding holes, something that tends to even out over time.
That patience and process are why Boone’s trust hasn’t wavered, and why the Yankees haven’t rushed to make changes.
There’s confidence that the bat will heat back up — and when it does, Grisham can carry a few games on his own.
What comes next for Grisham’s future
The Yankees don’t necessarily need Grisham to be a star, but they do need him to stay steady and dangerous.
His left-handed power is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, and his ability to lengthen the lineup has real postseason value.
He’s shown the kind of balance teams crave — a disciplined hitter with power, range in the outfield, and no ego about his role.
If he keeps this up, even through the quieter stretches, he could turn a contract year into a very interesting offseason.