Red Sox 24-Year-Old Named ‘Dark Horse’ Opening Day Candidate

Who will end up landing a spot on the Red Sox's roster?

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have so much talent in the organization that some guys have been almost forgotten about. 

Most of the excitement around the club right now is centered around Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman, Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. They aren’t the only guys worth watching this spring, though. 

Boston obviously wasn’t as active last offseason, but one move they did make was the trade with the Atlanta Braves to send Chris Sale away for Vaughn Grissom. He’s just 24 years old and is someone who can help Boston, but had a tough 2024 season so he has been almost forgotten.

Grissom is talented and slashed .280/.313/.347 with Atlanta in 2023 before coming to Boston in 23 games. Injuries and illness slowed him down last year but he’s back to full strength now.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Spring Training shakes out. MLB.com shared a list of “dark horse” candidates to make each team’s big league roster. Ian Browne had Grissom as the option for Boston.

"For all the talk about top prospect Kristian Campbell (No. 7 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100) having a chance to win a spot in the lineup with a strong spring, Grissom has become a forgotten man, at least outside the walls of the clubhouse," Browne said. "After a bust of a first season in Boston thanks to multiple leg injuries that kept him out for an extended period and limited his production when he did play, Grissom is fully healthy this spring.

"Not only that but he’s added 12 pounds and picked up some bat speed, as evidenced during a live batting practice when he belted a 100 mph from Aroldis Chapman into right field for a hit. Though he still has options, Grissom could still win a job on the team either as the second baseman or a utility player."

More MLB: Red Sox 25-Year-Old Set To Take Important Step: Insider