Vaughn Grissom appears to be taking the next step in his development and very well could be the next top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system.
Michael Harris and Spencer Strider both started the year as the top prospects in the Braves system but will graduate from prospect status soon. This is opening the door for the next top prospect, Vaughn Grissom.
Drew Waters will remain high on prospect rankings, but there is a real chance that Vaughn Grissom will be the next top prospect. One that Braves fans will fall in love with.
Grissom was already gaining some attention before the season due to an impressive 2021 but had a monster game on June 16th. One that will have Braves country talking for quite some time.
Grissom went 4-7 with 2 HR, 5 R, 8 RBI, and also added in a double. The two home runs were grand slams. Two grand slams in the same game will gather plenty of attention itself.
Grissom did it in back to back innings. It was a huge game that will be talked about by minor league enthusiasts for a while. It is the major highlight for what has been a great week for Grissom.
He has gone 14-21 in his last four games this week. A spectacular week, but it is not just one exceptional week. The young prospect has putting together a nice season.
In 53 games at High-A Rome, Vaughn Grissom is hitting .288/.378/.451 with 8 HR, 41 R, 39 RBI, 12 SB, .379 wOBA, and 128 wRC+.
His power has started to develop, as he only hit 7 home runs in 380 plate appearances in 2021. He currently has 8 homers in just 246 plate appearances in 2022.
His defense has also been impressive this season. Scouts were worried he would need to move off shortstop eventually. While a move to second, third, or even the outfield is still a likely outcome, he is giving hope that he could continue to play shortstop as he moves through the minors.
It will be his bat that will carry him up rankings and through the minor leagues. He is projected for an average hit tool and potentially plus power.
One of the more impressive parts of Grissom’s game is his plate discipline at an early age. He has currently walked 23 times compared to 33 strikeouts in 53 games. It will be interesting to see if he can continue this trend as he rises the minor league ranks.
Vaughn Grissom is probably a guy to look out for in 2024. He looks to be the next top guy in a Braves farm system that has graduated some exceptionally good major league talent in recent seasons.