CLEARWATER, Fla. — Trent Grisham’s Offensive and Defensive Performance
Trent Grisham had the most productive offensive season of his career last year, yet it was also arguably his weakest defensively.
As a result, Grisham has decided to accept the qualifying offer from the Yankees. This gives him the opportunity to demonstrate that his offensive success was no fluke, and more importantly, that he can enhance his defensive skills. He struggled with this last season, partly due to ongoing hamstring troubles.
Last season, Grisham made significant offensive contributions, hitting 34 home runs and becoming the primary center fielder. However, he fell short of achieving his usual defensive accolades, with his last Gold Glove award in 2022.
The 29-year-old usually doesn’t focus too much on defensive statistics—probably because he doesn’t need to when things are going well—but he acknowledged on Sunday that he’d like to gauge his standing in center field once there’s enough data midseason.
“I realized last year that I was at the bottom of that list, and it really motivated me this offseason,” Grisham mentioned. His Defensive Runs Allowed of -11 was among the lowest for eligible center fielders. “I certainly wanted to improve and get back to where I was in my earlier years.”
The Yankees believe a key to his improvement is getting healthy.
Grisham came into camp last year dealing with a hamstring strain, but he managed to start the season on schedule. He faced additional challenges, like a minor ankle issue when he returned from paternity leave in late April. Then, during a game in Toronto on June 30, he had to leave early after catching his cleat in the turf while pursuing a liner. He admitted to being nervous but managed to return a few days later and continued to play until the season’s end.
“I might not have been at 100 percent, but it really wasn’t a major issue,” Grisham said after making a diving catch in a recent spring training win against Philadelphia. “I just wanted to play outside; I felt capable of performing well.”
While his offense maintained its strength—he continued to connect for key hits—his defensive performance took a noticeable dip, partly because he struggled to backtrack. Outfield coach Luis Rojas noted, “Last year, that was primarily due to physical limitations. He was slower than before and couldn’t reach some balls, which hurt his metrics.”
Coming into camp this year, Grisham is healthy. Rojas even mentioned that Grisham jokingly said, “I’m going to show everyone I’m fast.”
The Yankees don’t need Grisham to regain his early-career speed (which helped him achieve 10 DRS in 2022), but they’re hoping he can meet a defensive standard that complements his strong offensive capabilities.
“I didn’t dwell too much on the defensive struggles this offseason,” Grisham explained. “For me, it was more of a mental push—a way to get that competitive edge back. It’s more personal than anything.”
If Grisham is indeed looking for a motivator, he can certainly find one in the challenge of replicating his impressive offensive performance from 2025. The Yankees clearly believe in his potential—pointing to solid underlying metrics that suggest last season’s success wasn’t a one-time event, which is why they presented him with a $22.025 million qualifying offer.
Grisham mentioned that he took the full 12 days to contemplate his decision to accept the offer, describing the choice as “heavy.” He could have possibly secured a more profitable multi-year contract if he had declined it, especially since he ranked as the second-best center fielder available in the free-agent market after teammate Cody Bellinger. Ultimately, though, he decided to stay.
“At the end of the day, my goal is to win games,” Grisham shared. “I think that’s how you truly perform at your best. Winning is my focus.”
