Since the Atlanta Braves acquired Jarred Kelenic and David Fletcher, the pathway to playing time has looked foggy for Vaughn Grissom in 2024. The Braves have indicated that Grissom would be given a shot to compete with Kelenic in left field in 2024.
Grissom is no longer the top reserve infielder now that they have David Fletcher. Fletcher might be the best defensive infielder on the team.
Also, Grissom was probably never an option as a utility infielder. He has been really bad at the major league level. Really bad… defensively, of course.
Grissom was supposed to go to play outfield in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He has logged four games at third base and six games in left field. He hasn’t made any errors, but other than that I don’t have any information. He has 52.0 innings in the outfield there. Will he be able to translate that to the outfield at the major-league level this season? Hey, being a below-average major-league shortstop is not really much of a knock. Shortstop is one of the most athletically demanding positions on the field and he’s playing at the highest level. It’s easy for us nerds at home, sitting behind computers, looking at negative DRS numbers, it’s easy for us nerds to forget how incredibly difficult this is and how incredibly talented and athletic a guy like Grissom has to be to make it to the Major League level playing shortstop. His athleticism can translate to left field.
It’s a matter of learning and mastering the fundamentals of the position.
How could Jarred Kelenic open the door for Grissom in 2024?
Right now, Grissom is a more polished major-league hitter. It’s odd to think that, considering Kelenic had a better Major League year than Grissom last year, but most of Kelenic’s productions came from the first couple of months.
Through June 3rd, Kelenic had probably the greatest stretch of his young career. In 55 games he crushed 10 homers posted an .844 OPS. He slashed .275/.339/.505.
From June 4th through the rest of the season, Kelenic slashed .227/.313/.320 and struck out in 32.3% of his plate appearances. After crushing 10 homers over his first 55 games. Over his final 50 games he hit just one.
Kelenic has 252 career big-league games under his belt with an OPS+ of 85. 15% lower than league average. The first two months of last season propelled him to a 109 OPS+ last year.
This is not to say Kelenic won’t be good or even great for the Braves this year. But there is a possibility he isn’t quite ready to consistently contribute. With the amount of swing-and-miss in his game, he can be streaky or just bad for long periods of time. We really hope to see more of the Kelenic from the first two months of last year. If we don’t, Grissom’s bat has a lot less experience but appears to be more polished.
Vaughn Grissom’s Bat
When the Braves called him up in his very productive debut in 2022, he came straight from Double-A. So, last year was his first shot in Gwinnett. He dominated. His bat looked ready for the big league.
He needs to show the Braves he is a capable defender in left field and he has a shot if Kelenic can’t find a level of consistency yet. Yes, the Braves invested a decent amount in acquiring Kelenic but they have him under team control for the next five seasons. There’s a world in which Vaughn Grissom is the better option in 2024.
Will Grissom earn consistent playing time in 2024? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Atlanta Braves 2025 Draft Recap & Trade Deadline Preview – Talkin Tomahawk – Atlanta Braves Baseball
- Atlanta Braves 2025 Draft Recap & Trade Deadline Preview
- Atlanta Braves Podcast – Why Acuna's Cold, Rotation Projections for Remainder of Season
- Atlanta Braves Podcast – Week in Review, Upcoming Schedule, Acuna's Defense, and More!
- Atlanta Braves Podcast – Why Braves Have Edge in Mets Series, Highlights from Last Week, Max Fried Talk, and More
- Atlanta Braves: What does Adam Duvall's signing mean for Jarred Kelenic's?
Leave a Reply