Yankees Outfielder Trent Grisham Might Be MLB’s Unluckiest Hitter

New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham has had a nightmare start to his 2026 season. 

Grisham, 29, is coming off a career year. Last season, the lefty nicknamed ‘The Big Sleep,’ for his nonchalant persona and flair for the big moment, smacked 34 home runs and posted 3.4 Baseball Reference WAR. Before his breakout campaign, Grisham’s best year came in 2021 with the Padres. There was a large gap in his development, but in the Bronx, he found his swing and the short porch. 

After an incredible season, Grisham secured the qualifying offer from the Yankees. It wasn’t expected that he would accept following such an incredible year, but to most fans’ surprise, Grisham remained a Yankee through 2026. So far, his return has been less than immaculate. 

Trent Grisham has Struggled at the Plate in 2026

Through his first 121 at-bats, Grisham is slashing .182/.308/.372. On a Yankees team that’s currently atop the NL East, that kind of lackluster production won’t cut it. Some fans have clamored to move on from the middling outfielder, but the underlying metrics suggest The Big Sleep is simply slumbering, and waiting to wreak havoc on opposing arms. 

Grisham’s Baseball Savant page is riddled with red. The outfielder has posted a 100th percentile squared-up percentage thus far. He pairs his consistent quality contact with elite walk, chase, whiff, strikeout, and hard hit rates. With so much going his way, what’s holding him back? 

MLB’s Unluckiest Hitter

In more ways than one, Grisham has been MLB’s unluckiest hitter in 2026. 

With 22 outs on batted balls over 100 mph, Grisham by far paces the rest of the league. Additionally, his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) sits at a measly .181. That lack of production on batted balls is unsustainable, hinting at room for positive regression. 

Grisham has also posted an xOPS of .821 and an actual OPS of .680. Simply put, Grisham is doing everything right and not yielding any results. If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll be in a good spot to match his career year from last season. 

The Yankees’ Offense is Doing Just Fine With a Struggling Grisham

New York is currently first in home runs, fourth in OPS, and seventh in doubles as a team. Even without their nonchalant-slugging center fielder in full swing, the Bronx offense is alive and well. 

Unsurprisingly, Yankee captain Aaron Judge is leading the charge. The best outfielder in baseball reached 15 home runs at the fastest pace in his career. On a recent segment on Talkin’ Yanks, Jimmy O’Brien (Jomboy), pointed out an interesting anecdote. If Judge were to reach 50 bombs this year, he’d be the first player in MLB history to record five separate 50-homer seasons. Judge is coming off back-to-back MVP seasons and is currently gripping at a three-peat. 

Fellow Yankee outfielder Cody Bellinger has also picked up some of the slack during Grisham’s cold spell. His ability to create consistent quality contact while taking advantage of New York’s stadium dimensions has repositioned Bellinger’s career for success. The former MVP has already racked up 2.5 Baseball Reference WAR and is slashing .299/.394/.530 as of May eighth. 

At the end of the day, the Yankee offense is well and good without Grisham’s bat. If they add him to the mix, the AL East has the makings of a boat race. 

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