The Braves revealed on Wednesday that they have reinstated right-hander Kirby Yates from the 60-day injured list and picked the contract of top infield prospect Vaughn Grissom from Double-A Mississippi.
Like Michael Harris’s offseason hype last year, Grissom is the Braves’ top prospect and is rising quickly in the rankings.
Grissom was ranked second to Harris in Prospects, the 1500s most recent top 50 prospects for the Braves.
Who Is Braves Vaughn Grissom?
Vaughn Grissom, a 21-year-old rookie selected in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, has advanced quickly through the minor leagues, posting a.363/.408/.516 slash through his first 98 Double-A plate appearances.
He has never played above A-ball, but his.312/.404/.487 line in 344 plate appearances in High-A this year deserves to be mentioned as well.
It’s the second time this year that the Braves have aggressively promoted a top prospect straight from Double-A, and it’s simple to think that Michael Harris II’s enormous success may have given the front office the confidence to do it again.
Grissom has risen to No. 77 on Baseball America’s most recent top-100 prospect list and No. 98 over at MLB.com despite his lowly selection position. Across those two minor league levels, he has hit 14 home runs, 20 doubles, and two triples while attempting 27 of 32 steals.
Grissom has only walked four times in 98 Double-A plate appearances this season (8.1% on the season), but he has struck out in only 12.2% of those opportunities.
What Is Vaughn Grissom Net Worth In 2022?
Vaughn Grissom’s net worth is still under review. According to research by the Associated Press, the average salary of MLB players is $4.41 million, up from $4.17 million in 2021. In the new CBA, the minimum pay increased to $700,000 from $570,500.
Vaughn might earn in the above range. Moreover, when the Braves selected him in the eleventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft, they paid him $347,500 to break his engagement to FIU.
Although Grissom has spent most of this year and his minor league career playing shortstop, the Braves have granted him seven starts at second base and six at third base so far this season.
In the long run, his ability to play shortstop is questioned by BA’s scouting reports. MLB.com and FanGraphs, but his bat is considered strong enough to profile at second, third, or even in the outfield (although he has only played infield so far in his professional career).
Arcia’s impending IL stint and Ozzie Albies’ ongoing foot injury make it appear likely that Grissom will be assigned to second base for the time being.
For Grissom, the strategy is relatively straightforward: see the ball, hit the ball. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and a K% of 14% in 2021, meaning he won’t strike out a lot.
He does, however, have a superb eye, as seen by his 11.8 percent BB%, which would have led all qualified big league shortstops in that category. The athlete walked 11 times and struck out just five times during his brief stay in Rome.
Meet Vaughn Grissom Parents
Vaughn Grissom has not shared any details about his parents. However, he was raised in a humble and modest family.
The athlete can be found on Instagram under the username @vaughn_grissom. In addition, he has gained more than 4k followers.
Although you could argue that Grissom’s hit-tool is currently showing to be above average, his tools are generally rather mediocre.
Given that he just turned 21 and has a 6-foot-3 physique and only 180 pounds, it’s feasible that he will continue to expand physically, which may alter his attitude.