Trent Grisham Was Due for Big Night With Yankees

While most of the lineup has struggled, one of the New York Yankees more prominent bats finally woke up.

Apr 13, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) reacts after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Trent Grisham is one of the many Yankees bats that has struggled to start the season.

Of course, while Grisham has toiled at the plate, the big difference between him and someone like Ryan McMahon is that his underlying data showed he has actually been playing better than the results show. Having a big game is less a fluke and more a player moving toward the mean than anything else.

New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. | John Jones-Imagn Images

According to Baseball Savant, Grisham has a .426 expected slugging, a 91.5 mph average exit velocity, and a 62.9% hard hit rate on the season. He also has a 34.8% squared up rate.

It's why when Grisham flashed power against the Angels, it made a lot of sense. He was due.

Grisham against the Angels

The Yankees beat the Angels 11-10, snapping a five-game losing streak with the season's first slugfest. Grisham, who came in as a pinch hitter for Randal Grichuk, was responsible for five of those runs.

Grisham's contributions to the game first came in the fifth inning. After squandering a 4-0 lead the inning before with some poor defense, Giancarlo Stanton doubled. Then Ben Rice walked.

Grichuk had been replaced by Grisham, and on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, he crushed a changeup that Shaun Anderson left down the heart of the plate. It was your classic short porch blast that came off his bat at 99 mph.

TRENT GRISHAM PINCH HIT THREE-RUN HOMER FOR THE LEAD!! pic.twitter.com/d2Xg8FBmTG

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 14, 2026

This was not Grisham's only heroics on the night, though. Down 10-8 in the ninth after Mike Trout crushed the Yankees' bullpen for two homers, Grisham came to the plate against Jordan Romano.

He took advantage of another ball that was hung. This time it was a slider. The ball was ripped off his bat at 102.3 MPH. It traveled 391 feet, sailing well over the wall in right field. It wasn't the type of shot that could be considered a Yankee Stadium cheapie and Grisham tied the game.

THE BIG SLEEP TIES THIS GAME IN THE NINTH pic.twitter.com/cbxWNXkPBv

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 14, 2026

Grisham's power had been dormant before last night, but what he did should come as no surprise. Those underlying metrics told a different story than what was playing out on the field.

For an offense that has been struggling to get across the finish line, his bat finally waking up would be a welcome addition. They need help from everybody at this point. Unless your name is Ben Rice, nobody in the lineup has been without fault.

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