Padres’ Trent Grisham – Positives, Negatives, Outlook

Taking a look at San Diego Padres’ left-handed hitter Trent Grisham.

2020 was Trent Grisham’s first year being a full-time starter. He started 57 out of the possible 60 games for the friars, all in centerfield. He put up solid numbers for a 23-year-old, posting a .251 batting average with 10 home runs and 26 RBI’s.

Last year was a big stepping stone for Grisham.

As most young players do, Grisham had his ups and downs, especially at the plate, but he was able to make adjustments, as we saw with his memorable home runs. One that stands out the most was his game-tying solo home run in the sixth inning off Clayton Kershaw. The Padres won that game 7-2, and it was a big win against the first-place Dodgers. After he hit that home run, he was yelling at his teammates and pumping them up, but he also admired the homerun and had some choice words for the Dodgers as he rounded third base. He brought a swag and energy to the Friars that has not been there in years past.

Grisham and the Padres look to build off last year’s success and make a deep postseason run in 2021.

Positives

Grisham is only 24 years old. He is not even in his prime or nearing his prime yet. He has raw talent, and the ceiling for him is high. He has shown that he can bring energy and swag to a team that plays in October. He also won his first Gold Glove last season in centerfield, a position that is one of the most important positions on the diamond. Grisham has proven that he is one of the best defenders in the game, committing just two errors last season while posting a .986 fielding percentage. He led all National League outfielders in putouts last season with 134 and was first among National League centerfielders with three assists. Given his youth and defensive abilities, Grisham has a chance to take his game to the next level in 2021.

Negatives

Grisham is known to go cold at times with the bat. During the 2021 postseason, he went 0-11 in the Wild Card Round against the St. Louis Cardinals and 3-11 in the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s a .136 average. Grisham has struggled against the National League West and at opposing National League West ballparks. He batted .220 at opposing NL West ballparks and batted .237 against the NL West. This might be worrisome, given the Padres played 20 games last season at opposing NL West parks and 39 games against the NL West. He had also struggled in the clutch, batting .176 with two outs and runners in scoring position and .194 when the game was tied.

Outlook

Grisham will be the starting centerfielder for the Padres in the 2021 season. There should be no reason to be concerned about him even after digesting those numbers regarding his hitting. Again, he is just 24 years old and is going into his third MLB season. This season will be his first full regular season. He is already one of the top defenders in the game-winning a Gold Glove at 23. He was fourth in the National League in triples, fifth in stolen bases, and eighth in runs scored. You already see how electric he is when it comes to running and fielding. As he gains more experience, there is no doubt that Grisham will be a significant contributor to the Padres in the years to come.

Joey Serrano

My name is Joey Serrano. I am currently in my last year at at Arizona State University. I am majoring in sports journalism and I am a huge fan of the San Diego Padres. I can’t wait to give my readers some great baseball material.