Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham will be on the postseason roster for the American League Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox, first reported by Jon Paul Morosi of MLB Network.
Grisham has been sidelined with a re-occuring hamstring injury he sustained in San Diego on September 4th. He’s been rehabbing and working out with the team, and Yankees beat writer Greg Joyce reported that he felt ready to be on the Wild Card roster, but that a decision was still pending until Morosi’s announcement this morning.
Grisham’s 2026 Season In Review
Grisham in 2026 has a .211/.308/.395 slash line with 18 home runs, 59 RBIs, and a .703 OPS in 121 games (426) plate appearances. Grisham’s role in the Wild Card series is unclear; all we know is that he’s officially on the playoff roster for this series against the Red Sox.
Grisham has had a very up-and-down season after accepting a one-year, $ 22.025 million qualifying offer this past offseason in November from the Yankees as a free agent.
Grisham had a breakout season in 2025 for the Yankees, hitting a career-high 34 home runs with an .811 OPS. Grisham’s profile relies on getting on base and hitting for power, which he has done this year, but not as much as the Yankees may have hoped coming off his stellar 2025 season.
Yankees Center Field Debate
There was much debate earlier in the year as to whether Grisham or Jones should be the Yankees’ primary center fielder. Jones has made the most of his opportunities offensively, posting a .742 OPS with 11 home runs in 86 big league games this season. The 6’7 left-handed hitting outfielder has had some trouble, though, defensively speaking, posting a -4 OAA (outs above average), which ranks in the bottom 15th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. Jones, one could argue, has provided more offensive value in his opportunities compared to Grisham.
Grisham has also struggled defensively in center field this year, posting a -6 OAA (outs above average), which ranks in the bottom 9th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. This leaves the Yankees with interesting lineup decisions to make as they try to navigate one of their arch rivals in this best-of-three Wild Card Series tonight and in the coming days ahead.
One of those questions is who will start at center field in Game one of the Wild Card Series tonight? Will they stick with 24-year-old rookie Spencer Jones, or will it be Trent Grisham? Or will Trent Grisham be a late substitution in either of these Wild Card games against Boston? That, and much more, will be under deep review and analysis in the hours and days ahead.
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