The problem isn’t limited to Trent Grisham.
But with the Yankees lineup mostly stuttering throughout their ALDS series and even the wild-card series, their regular season clutch hitter has been anything but.
Grisham will enter a win-or-stay-home Game 3 going 3-for-20 in the 2025 playoffs with eight strikeouts.
He is also hitting .165 with 36 strikeouts and a .577 OPS in 24 career playoff games.
But Boone defended his center back Monday — calling it the “nature of the playoffs” and saying it was a small sample size.
“I trust Trent Grisham and his quality as a hitter,” Boone said. “It’s only been a few games, and we’ve had some tough matchups in there where he’s faced some tough lefties.”
Boone referenced Grisham’s wild-card series with the Padres against the Mets in 2022 as a preview of how he can perform on that stage.
Grisham hit .500 in that series and ended up with three homers in the postseason, but once the NLCS came around, he collected no hits — and went 3 for 39 (.077) with 17 strikeouts in 10 postseason games since the start of this Phillies series.
Grisham made 2025 a career year with the Yankees, collecting personal bests in home runs (34), OPS (.811), RBIs (74) and walks (82).
He remained a fixture at the top of their lineup for most of the year after struggling to find consistent playing time as a fourth outfielder in 2024, and Grisham – nicknamed “Big Sleep” by the Yankees – delivered in many key moments and moments, including a grand slam against the Astros in September and a ninth-inning grand slam against the Braves in July.
But he struck out four in Game 1 of the wild-card series and three times in Game 2 of the ALDS, with both matchups featuring a dazzling left-hander and right-hander — Garrett Crochet for the Red Sox and Trey Yesavage for the Blue Jays, respectively — for the bulk of the innings.
His only extra base hit came in the seventh inning of Game 2 against Boston.
However, with the Yankees’ season on the brink and with Grisham, an impending free agent general manager, Brian Cashman having to make a decision this offseason, Boone’s confidence in his center fielder has not wavered.
“He won’t let himself get overwhelmed by a situation,” Boone said. “He’s going to throw you a good at-bat. He’s going to have the ability every time he goes up there to reach base and threaten to leave the ballpark.”
