Vaughn Grissom Brings Upside and Question Marks to the Angels

If at the end of the 2023 season Angels fans were told they would have all three of Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, and Vaughn Grissom on the team in two years there would have been rejoicing throughout the land. Over the course of two months at the end of 2025, Angels GM Perry Minsian brought in all three players hoping they can finally cash in on the talent that made them all highly coveted young players.

Today we will focus on the one position player of the group, Vaughn Grissom. To say Grissom was prized in the upper minors would be putting it lightly. He was traded from Atlanta to Boston for Chris Sale and cash. Yes, Grissom was worth not only a future Cy Young winner but cash to help cover the cost. Granted Sale was coming off two injury plagued seasons so his value was depressed a bit but we are still talking about an unproven 22 year old for a veteran starter who has proven at times to be an ace.

Grissom entered the 2022 season barely old enough to buy a beer and was rated Atlanta's 7th best prospect by MLB.com and the 77th overall prospect in the game by Baseball America. He handled High A pitching to the tune of a .312/.404/.487 slash line with 17 doubles and 11 Home runs. Vaughn swiped and impressive 20 bases in those 74 games. He only worked 32 walks but his OBP was helped by 14 hit by pitches. Over 344 plate appearances he kept his strikeout total at a very reasonable 40.

After being promoted to AA midway through the year, Grissom went on a tear. His slash line improved across the board: .363 batting average, .404 on base percentage, .516 slugging. It was a small sample size, but the Braves had seen enough and called him to the big club after only 22 games at the AA level.

Grissom's Minor League Stats Have Not Yet Translated At The MLB Level

Skipping AAA entirely is difficult. As is big league success at the age of 22. Vaughn Grissom attempted to overcome both obstacles and like so many talented youngsters before him he struggled, although not initially. His great 2022 season carried over to the Braves and he put up a nice .291/.353/.440 slash line that was 19% better than league average by OPS+.

Since that great rookie campaign, Grissom's struggles at the plate have worsened. He posted an OPS+ of 74 (26% below league average) in just 23 games for the Braves before he was traded in the aforementioned Chris Sale trade in 2023.

Boston kept Grissom in the minors for the remainder of that season and brought him into big league camp with a clear path to a utility job at the big league level. Grissom failed to make the Red Sox out of camp and went to AAA where he continued to put up solid numbers. After 55 games he was called up the the big club.

Grissom's offense after getting called to the MLB level was not good at all. In 114 plate appearances across 31 games, Grissom hit an anemic .190/.246/.219 which rated as 35% the production of a league average hitter per OPS+. As was the case in previous MLB call ups, the strikeout was a major issue. Grissom K'd in 29 plate appearances, or 25% of the time. And when he did make contact it was weak contact. Vaughn only had 3 extra base hits, all doubles.

After posting a .270/.342/.441 line over 96 games in AAA for the Boston organization he did not earn a call to the majors. Boston was fighting for a playoff spot and had solid depth around the diamond. There simply was no place for him on their roster. But hose numbers came at sea level in the International League so they are far more likely to translate to the MLB level than numbers from the hitter haven Pacific Coast League.

The Angels Hope He Can Now Put It All Together

Just now turning 25 and with a solid minor league track record, Vaugh Grissom and the Angels are hoping to finally see the talent play up to the big league level. Drafted as a shortstop, Grissom's clearest path to playing time is at second base. He is out of minor league options so he must make the team out of Spring Training or be subject to waivers. The same goes with teammate Oswald Peraza who also fits the "hyped prospect who hasn't hit yet" description.

Grissom is one of the top storylines to follow through Spring Training. The range of possible outcomes is quite wide, from starting second baseman to placed on the waiver wire. Angels on SI will post progress reports on Grissom and other candidates once the Cactus League begins.