Soto is predicted to enhance a Yankees offense that completed twenty ninth in batting common (.227) and twenty fifth in runs scored (673), whereas Grisham is predicted to enhance the outfield protection. Grisham gained two Gold Gloves with San Diego.
Tony Gwynn Jr. — an eight-year Main Leaguer (2006-14), one of many Padres’ radio broadcasters and the son of the Baseball Corridor of Famer with the identical title — noticed each Soto and Grisham up shut. Gwynn believes Soto can have thick sufficient pores and skin to thrive within the Huge Apple. Soto won’t solely make the most of the brief porch in proper discipline at Yankee Stadium, however, Gwynn added, he’ll use your complete discipline to hit house runs and drive in runs. To show Gwynn’s level, 13 of his of Soto’s 35 house runs in 2023 had been hit to left or left-center discipline, in response to Baseball Savant.
Soto is coming off a season wherein he led the Padres in house runs and RBIs (109) and the Main Leagues with 132 walks. Through the second half of the 2023 season, Soto had a slash line of .286/.399/.568.
“I believe extremely of Soto,” Gwynn mentioned. “While you get an opportunity to look at him play on an on a regular basis foundation, you get to see his strategy on the plate. I don’t care if the rating is 12-1 or 0-0, he’s not giving something away.
“Soto may be one of many few hitters that I’ve seen that … shouldn’t be going to chase. His timing may be off, however he hits the ball effectively on a regular basis. … He actually turned it on in the course of the second half of the [2023] season, and I absolutely anticipate him to blossom in New York. When he’s at his finest, he’ll drive the ball to the other discipline.”
As for Grisham, nobody will query his defensive expertise within the outfield. However Gwynn believes that Grisham wants to listen to a brand new voice in terms of his expertise within the batter’s field. That voice shall be hitting coach James Rowson, who helped Aaron Choose develop as a hitter within the Yankees’ Minor League system.
During the last two years, for instance, Grisham hit a mixed .191 with 30 house runs. Nonetheless, he confirmed indicators of life with the bat in the course of the 2022 postseason. Within the Nationwide League Wild Card Sequence towards the Mets, Grisham was 4-for-8 with two homers, whereas going 4-for-13 with a house run towards the Dodgers within the NL Division Sequence.
As of now, Grisham is predicted to come back off the bench and play protection within the late innings.
“Possibly any individual on the Yankees will say one thing that can click on,” Gwynn mentioned. “He has the flexibility offensively. It’s not as if he can’t play offensively. [But] he has lengthy streaks of not hitting. However when he’s on, as we noticed within the Wild Card Sequence and the Nationwide League Division Sequence, … he’s a really productive offensive participant. However he hasn’t been capable of do it persistently. Defensively, you aren’t going to search out anybody higher.”
Requested if Grisham will do effectively in New York, Gwynn mentioned, “I can’t truthfully say he’ll do as effectively. I believe he’s bothered by critique generally. New York is each man for himself by way of [criticism]. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how effectively he does with it. I gained’t say he gained’t be capable to do it, however I’ll be looking forward to certain. I don’t suppose it’s the identical scenario as Juan.”
