X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Vaughn Grissom: Champ or Chump for Fantasy Baseball

Vaughn Grissom - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Prospects, Draft Sleepers

Is Vaughn Grissom a fantasy baseball sleeper, bust or neither? Is he a flash in the pan or will he thrive? Rick's deep dive into Grissom's 2022 fantasy value.

When it comes to prospects, there are two camps that fantasy managers can fall into. Some have severe FOMO and attempt to roster every player called up with even a moderate pedigree, often wasting roster spots that could have been better used on older breakout players or consistent veterans. Others need a reason to roster prospects and miss out on some huge seasons because they were too slow to make the add.

When the Atlanta Braves called up Michael Harris II, the latter group saw a guy with minimal experience in the high minors, little power on the farm, and MiLB lines fueled largely by BABIP. His plate discipline looked good, but that wasn't enough to justify an add. As a result, one of their rivals is enjoying Harris's .293/.331/.512 line with 12 homers and 13 steals.

Remarkably, it looks like the Braves might have another one. Vaughn Grissom is a middle infielder, but otherwise his high BABIPs, strong MiLB plate discipline, and relative lack of power look similar to his teammate's. The 21-year-old is off to a scorching hot start with a .389/.450/.778 with two homers and a steal in 20 PAs and is available in about half of Yahoo! leagues. Let's talk about him.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

What Do Scouts Say About Vaughn Grissom?

Grissom is the consensus top prospect in Atlanta's system, though recent graduations have left the system relatively barren. FanGraphs believed that he was nowhere near ready in 2022, assigning him present scouting grades of 20 hit and 25 game power with much stronger future grades (45 and 50, respectively). Grissom is also expected to grow into above-average raw power at 55, though his current grade is only 50.

MLB Pipeline largely concurs, giving Grissom 55 hit and 50 power. Notably, his scouting report mentions outstanding bat-to-ball skills and ability to work a walk but questions his viability as an everyday shortstop, adding that he might need to add more pop as a third baseman. Considering that Grissom is playing 2B until Ozzie Albies is ready to return, fantasy managers don't need to be too concerned in redraft leagues.

Both outlets only give Grissom 50 speed, which doesn't jive with all of the stolen bases he recorded on the farm. Still, league-average speed is enough to steal bases if you know what you're doing, and Grissom likely does.

 

How Did Vaughn Grissom Fare on the Farm?

Grissom played in rookie league before the pandemic and was among the youngest players at Atlanta's alternate training site in 2020, so he didn't get a taste of full-season ball until 2021. He began the year at Low-A (Augusta), hitting .311/.402/.446 with five homers and 13 steals across 328 PAs. His plate discipline was outstanding with a 10.4 BB% against a 14.9 K%, suggesting an advanced plate approach. He also ran a .360 BABIP backed by a high 25.1 LD% and low 25.1 FB%, though the latter limited his pop.

The performance earned Grissom a brief taste of High-A where he hit .378/.519/.595 with two homers and three steals in 52 PAs for Rome. The sample was very small, but his plate discipline remained outstanding (21.2 BB%, 9.6 K%) while his 25 LD% supported his .375 BABIP. His 34.4 FB% increased slightly but still fell short of where sluggers want to live.

Grissom returned to Rome to begin his 2022 campaign and hit .312/.404/.487 with 11 HR and 20 SB in 344 PAs. The power spike was the result of career-best 37.3 FB% and 11.8% HR/FB marks, but the rest of his peripherals were consistent: 9.3 BB%, 11.6 K%, 22.9 LD%, and a .332 BABIP.

The performance earned him a shot at Double-A (Mississippi) where he hit .363/.408/.516 with three homers and seven steals in 98 PAs. His BB% cratered to 4.1, but his 14.3 K% still suggested a strong knowledge of the zone. He also kept hitting liners with a 22.4 LD%, though his FB% fell to 31.6.

Grissom has hit at every level by working walks without striking out often and taking advantage of a line drive swing to keep his BABIPs high. His home stadiums were all pitcher-friendly as well, with Augusta ranking in the 12th percentile for BABIP and 31st for homers in 2019 and Rome in the 66th percentile for BABIP but 11th for HR. Mississippi had a 64 HR factor and 99 hits factor from 2017 to 2019. Grissom's MiLB success was not ballpark-aided.

Grissom also figures to have a green light with the contending Braves as his stolen base success rates on the farm were good. He went 16-for-19 on SB attempts across all levels in 2021, good for a success rate of a little over 84%. He's gone 28-for-33 across all levels so far this season for a success rate of nearly 85%. Naturally, this bodes well for his fantasy value.

 

What Have We Learned About Vaughn Grissom?

Grissom's plate discipline has not looked good at the MLB level with a 38.5% chase rate and 15.9 SwStr%, but the small sample size and consistently strong MiLB rates suggest that he'll do better. That gives Grissom a relatively high floor for such a young prospect, especially since he figures to steal bases. Grissom was also promoted to the second slot in Atlanta's order on Sunday night, giving him more counting stat opportunities than a guy buried at the bottom.

The biggest weakness in Grissom's fantasy profile is probably that he loses playing time once Albies comes back, but he should provide plenty of fantasy value before that happens. He's a Champ that is worth rostering in all leagues that care about stolen bases.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Player Profiles




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF