The Brewers drafted Grisham with the 15^th overall selection in the 2015 MLB Draft, signing him slightly above slot for $2.7 million as a well-rounded outfielder with the chance to stick in center field in the big leagues. After seeing Grisham several times in High-A Carolina in 2017, I checked in on him during June 13-17 homestand vs. Mississippi in the Double-A Southern League.

Grisham has made changes to his game since I saw him last summer. Most notably, he has joined the launch angle’revolution, adding some uppercut to his stroke and taking a pull-heavy approach. Previously, Grisham worked to all fields as a gap-to-gap doubles threat, and that look had me more bullish about his ability to hit for average at the big league level. The new look opts for power over hit, and while he could reach average game power in his present form, it will come with a fair amount of swing-and-miss and weak contact as he sees better secondaries. I saw a below-average hit tool guy across my 2018 look at Grisham. His body was thick even as a high schooler, and he has bulked up and now looks the part of a corner outfielder. His below-average arm will limit him to left, so there’s more pressure on the bat now for him to see everyday playing time.

He has the look of a tweener to me, lacking the prototypical power of a regular corner outfielder but also lacking the reads and instincts to hold down center field defensively. The shift in approach for more power presents as Grisham’s best chance to find a regular role, but the projected swing-and-miss make him a high-risk profile and limit the ceiling. If he can mash enough he’s a lesser LF regular, but the realistic future might be a 4th outfielder.