Trent Grisham has quietly blossomed into one of the Yankees’ most reliable power threats in 2025, turning early skepticism about his production into a clear demonstration of growth and consistency.
Grisham opened the season with a scorching April, launching eight home runs and posting a 1.009 OPS by month’s end. That immediate surge offered a bullish contrast to his 2024 struggles and fed the narrative that New York could withstand the departures of big-name hitters like Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres. As the season progressed, his pace cooled somewhat, and expectations tempered, but the breakthrough persisted.
The turning point came after the All-Star break. Two games into the second half, Grisham delivered a two-out go-ahead grand slam to lift the Yankees in a battle with the Braves. Not long after, he added another late-inning, go-ahead homer against the Astros in the Bronx, illustrating his growing penchant for delivering when the game is on the line. As the summer wore on, Grisham continued racking up highlights, and this week he has been absolutely locked in at the plate, belting five home runs during New York’s six-game winning streak from Sunday through Thursday.
With those latest results, Grisham sits two home runs away from 30 on the season, a personal best by a comfortable margin since arriving in the majors. The arc of his season underscores a player who has evolved without a radical overhaul, leaning into his strengths. He remains a patient, selective hitter who swings far less than the league average and rarely expands the strike zone. Yet his improved fastball contact has unlocked sustained power, positioning him as one of the league’s top heaters-hitters in 2025.
A look at the numbers reinforces the eye test. Against four-seam fastballs, Grisham ranks third in baseball in run value (+16), tied with Aaron Judge, while Kyle Schwarber leads the way (+27) and Soto sits just behind in the mix. Grisham has slugged .628 on fastballs and posted a whiff rate of 16.1%, indicating cleaner contact. His strikeout rate has dropped roughly six percentage points from 2024, all while he maintains solid plate discipline with a 13.5% walk rate—matching his career best in 2023. His power has been aided in part by a 24.2% fly-ball pull rate, allowing him to tap into his strength more consistently without relying on raw 80-grade pop.
Despite a hiccup in June, when his OPS slipped to .690 and strikeouts ticked up, Grisham still managed a healthy .340 OBP that month, underscoring a well-rounded approach rather than a one-month explosion. stylistically, he embodies a throwback profile: minimal padding in look, a short, compact stroke, and an understated energy that often belies the impact he’s having on the lineup.
In a season where the Yankees are jockeying in a three-team race for divisional supremacy, Grisham has emerged as one of the club’s most critical and consistent contributors. He’s not merely contributing; he is altering the expectations for what a midseason trade acquisition can become when placed in the right circumstances. So, Trent, after this run of success, consider the skepticism officially put to bed.
Additional context and outlook:
– If Grisham sustains this level of production, he could push toward a career-year in homers and overall impact, further solidifying his role in a potent Yankees lineup.
– The balance between patience, power, and contact discipline appears to be the key to his continued success, giving him a stable foundation as the season winds down.
– Fans and analysts who doubted the early-season trajectory should take note: Grisham has transformed into a legitimate, multi-faceted contributor rather than a streaky surprise.
Summary: Grisham’s 2025 season has evolved from cautious optimism to credible stardom, anchored by a power surge, improved contact against fastballs, and a knack for delivering in clutch moments. If the current trend holds, he could be shaping the Yankees’ fortunes down the stretch and into the postseason.
A hopeful note: Grisham’s steady improvement and clutch performances suggest a meaningful upward trajectory rather than a temporary hot streak, which bodes well for the Yankees’ lineup depth as they chase a division title.