Yankees' Trent Grisham Replacement is Hiding in Plain Sight

The New York Yankees could have a key outfield decision ahead of them.

Sep 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (12) scores on first base Ben Rice (not pictured) sixth inning single against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It's been quite the Spring Training for New York Yankees outfielders Spencer Jones and Trent Grisham.

While Grisham is seemingly already locked into the Opening Day lineup, Jones is giving him a run for his money and that can't be looked past.

The Yankees have already made up their mind as they sent Jones back down to Triple-A ahead of the 2026 season, but that doesn't mean this conversation can't be revisited in due time.

When comparing their numbers (which have a similar sample size), there's a clear difference between the two. New York hasn't really thought of replacing Grisham, but by the end of the year there's a real chance Jones gets more time in the outfield than him.

Spencer Jones Raked in Spring Training

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees optioned OF Spencer Jones and RHP Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned them to minor league camp.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) March 9, 2026

Jones was sent down to minor league camp after 21 at-bats in Spring Training. After the Yankees win over the Blue Jays on March 11, that puts him at tied for eighth.

The boom or bust prospect slashed .333/.440/.952. That line is extremely impressive as he posted a 1.392 OPS which is far greater than any other player. Fellow outfielder Kenedy Corona and third baseman Max Schuemann both have an OPS over 1.000, but they still trail Jones by a healthy margin and had six fewer at-bats.

Jones' 2026 started off hot as four of his seven hits were for home runs. He struck out seven times which is far from ideal, but he drew four walks as well which helps offset his number of K's.

Trent Grisham's Numbers Are Far From Ideal

Trent Grisham challenged a pitch, two pitches into the game 🤣

He was right and singled too.

Considering he had a 96th percentile 14.1% walk rate in 2025, it’s fair to say he gets the strike zone. pic.twitter.com/ZMgKPNcLiF

— Joe Randazzo (@YankeeLibrarian) February 24, 2026

Grisham, 29, is a fellow lefty outfielder but has been nowhere near as productive. He's sitting at 22 at-bats this spring with a horrific slash line of: .182/.280/.227. Not often does a player have his SLG% be lower than his OBP, but that's currently the case with Grisham.

For reference, Jones' SLG is .512 higher than his OBP. As for Grisham, his SLG is .053 lower than his OBP which is alarming, to say the least. Grisham has an OPS of .507 which is nowhere near good enough at the big league level.

Obviously it's only Spring Training, but Jones brings a lot to the table that Grisham doesn't. If the Yankees are searching for another power bat, it may be worth taking the risk on Jones in a few months time, depending on what Grisham's numbers look like once he gets settled into the 2026 season.

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