Atlanta Braves taking significant gamble with Vaughn Grissom

The Atlanta Braves’ decision to let Dansby Swanson walk away once his contract reached a certain price point made sense.

Vaughn Grissom was waiting in the wings as their backup plan. One of the Braves’ top prospects, Grissom was pressed into service when Ozzie Albies went down and their other options at second base faltered. He responded well, posting a .291/.353/.440 batting line in his 156 plate appearances, hitting five homers and six doubles while stealing five bases. The Braves could have their next young star ready to go.

Is Vaughn Grissom the player the Atlanta Braves need him to be?

That overall performance does not quite tell the full story of Grissom’s season. He struggled down the stretch, posting a .180/.283/.205 batting line with one double and 13 strikeouts and four walks in his final 46 plate appearances. There was a nine game stretch where he did not play as the Braves were in the process of overtaking the Mets at the end of the season, and he was 0-3 with three strikeouts in the postseason.

This leaves Grissom’s ability to handle an everyday role at shortstop in question. His strong showing over the course of his time in the majors came in a small sample size, with his struggles at the end of the year in an even shorter stretch of time. Were they a matter of the league having figured out Grissom or just a badly timed slump?

The Braves are certainly hoping that it is the latter. They have championship aspirations both this season and for the foreseeable future as they have moved to lock in their core. Grissom, at his league minimum salary, would help offset some of those larger contracts. But he needs to prove that he can be that player.

The Atlanta Braves are hoping that Vaughn Grissom can take over as their next star shortstop. It is a gamble that they are being forced to take.