Yankees' Trent Grisham Comes Through Despite Early Gaffe

Everything Trent Grisham does will be put under a microscope. The examinations will be thorough and not always fair. It doesn't matter how well he did in 2025 or just how clutch he was in big moments. His missteps will be magnified because he accepted that qualifying offer early on. It was a move many questioned the New York Yankees for making, and unless Grisham has another solid year at the plate, followed by a big October, he'll likely have to endure the scrutiny for the duration of 2026.

Things didn't get off to a great start for Grisham either. His early gaffe in the first inning was the reason ace Max Fried was caught in a bind with runners on the corners. It started when Rafael Devers lofted a ball to him, and Grisham lost it in the sun.

Rafael Devers bloops a single in front of Trent Grisham and the Giants are set up in the first pic.twitter.com/IXx9Swk8Pv
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 26, 2026

According to the Daily News' Gary Phillips, the ball had a 95% catch probability. Fried was able to get out of the jam, and despite throwing a few extra pitches that inning, he left the game in the seventh without having eclipsed 100 pitches. That drop ended up being inconsequential.

Not only did Fried make up for that first inning. So too did Grisham.

Scorching Baseballs

With a man on first and second an inning later, Grisham came up to the plate. The Yankees had already scored three off of Logan Webb, and on the first pitch of the at-bat, Grisham ripped a triple, allowing Austin Wells and Ryan McMahon to score. The ball soared off his bat at 105.7 MPH.

Mar 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) slides into third base after hitting a two-run triple against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

That proved to be the biggest moment of the game for Grisham. Though he had one more loud out in him left. In the sixth inning, off of reliever Keaton Winn, Grisham pulled a liner that died at the right field wall. The ball was scorched, coming off his bat at 101.7 MPH, and had an expected batting average of .530.

A Positive Outlook

After the game, Grisham was asked about what he could do to carry over his success from his breakout year to this new season. To him, it's all about his mindset and belief in himself.

"I just thought better, day in, day out," Grisham said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I've said that, and I'll keep saying it. That's about the best way I can put it: just more consistently thinking better. "When you're thinking right, all the physical stuff kind of takes care of itself."

Last season, Grisham graced the Yankees with 30+ homers after they put their faith in him. Now, he'll have to reward their belief in a different way, proving that last year was no fluke. It’s only game one, and a lot can happen between now and November, but in the season opener, it was yet another big hit for the player who was an afterthought in the Juan Soto deal.

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