A Time to Kill (Baseballs) by Trent Grisham
Trent Grisham (NYY): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Much like many of the tales spun by literary legend John Grisham, the story of Trent Grisham’s 2025 season is one of vengeance and redemption. After showing promise and some postseason success in his first few years with the San Diego Padres, Grisham’s ability at the plate fell off a cliff as he batted .184, .198, and .190 between 2022 and 2024. Returning to the Yankees at age 28 and with several prospects and free agents looking to boot him from the roster altogether, the centerfielder sought vengeance on his many detractors, and he has succeeded in that regard and then some this season. After smashing two homers to power the Bronx Bombers to a 10-5 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday, Grisham is now up to 33 on the season after hitting a total of 39 in 1,099 at-bats between 2022 and 2024. Sure, the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium have benefitted the batting glove-less lefty, but a decrease in strikeout rate and a sharp increase in hard contact percentage have propelled Grisham to a career season. He will return to the postseason for the first time since 2022, when he shone brightly in the Wild Card and Division series before going 0 for 19 in the Championship Series loss, and Yankees fans are hoping Grisham’s storybook season can lead the revered franchise to their first World Series victory since 2009.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Wednesday:
Ian Happ (CHC): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Per usual, Pittsburgh native Ian Happ provided the big hits against the Pirates, hitting a two-run home run in the first inning and adding an RBI single in the sixth. In 417 career at-bats against Pittsburgh, Happ has hit .314/.406/.554 with 19 home runs, far eclipsing his career .247/.344/.448 numbers.
Spencer Steer (CIN): 3-4, HR, R, 5 RBI.
After missing multiple games due to injury, Spencer Steer returned to the lineup on Wednesday and led the Reds to a 6-2 win over St. Louis with a five RBI day that included a three-run home run in the fourth inning. It has been a bit of a disappointing season for Steer, but he has turned it on when healthy of late, hitting .353/.450/.529 over his last seven games.
Alec Burleson (STL): 2-3, HR, 2B, R, RBI, BB.
Alec Burleson’s efforts weren’t enough in the loss to Cincinnati, but the 26-year-old continues to be one of the more underrated hitters in the game. He has improved upon his breakout 2024 season and is now hitting .285/.338/.461 on the year with 18 home runs and an excellent 14.5% strikeout rate.
Dylan Beavers (BAL): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
The Orioles’ No. 2-ranked prospect, Dylan Beavers, has acclimated himself quite nicely to major league pitching in 83 at-bats since his callup. The 24-year-old outfielder hit his third home run, stole his second base, and is up to a .277/.423/.470 line in the bigs. Between the majors and AA, Beavers has 20 home runs and 25 stolen bases to go along with an excellent walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Matt Olson (ATL): 3-5, HR, 2 R, RBI.
While it is too little too late, this Atlanta squad has finally woken up over the last month and is riding a five-game win streak thanks to offensive performances like Matt Olson’s on Wednesday. The powerful lefty hit his 28th home run of 2025, and Atlanta has averaged almost eight runs a game during the win streak.
Manny Machado (SD): 3-5, HR, R, 4 RBI, SB.
Manny Machado’s fifth-inning grand slam off David Peterson propelled the Padres to a 7-4 win over the Mets in a battle of NL Wild Card teams. The 33-year-old third baseman is now up to 26 home runs and 92 RBI, and he also stole his 14th base of the season, his most since 2018.
Eugenio Suárez (SEA): 4-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI.
While it wasn’t enough to secure Seattle its 11th victory in a row, Eugenio Suárez had himself a day on Wednesday, going four for four and falling just a triple short of the cycle. Suárez’s bat has actually been surprisingly cold during the Mariners’ hot stretch, but the 34-year-old can turn in a performance like Wednesday’s at any moment, which could be crucial for Seattle’s postseason hopes.
Salvador Perez (KC): 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
At age 35, Salvador Perez has seen a downtick in some statistical categories, but power is not one of them as he smashed his 29th of the season in Kansas City’s win on Wednesday. 2025 has been his best season power-wise since his incredible 48 home run season in 2021, and he looks like he will continue to be a threat at the plate until he is confined to a wheelchair.
Cody Bellinger (NYY): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Grisham wasn’t the only Yankee lefty who left the yard against the Twins on Wednesday, as Cody Bellinger cranked his 29th home run in the ninth inning off lefthander Génesis Cabrera. Bellinger has been a steady presence for the New York over the last month, hitting .294/.351/.513 with seven homers.
Taylor Ward (LAA): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Taylor Ward did literally all of the work for the Angels on Wednesday, hitting two solo home runs in the 9-2 loss to Milwaukee. The 31-year-old has sacrificed his batting average and on-base percentage in the pursuit of power this season, but it has resulted in a career-high 33 home runs and 100 RBI.
Blake Perkins (MIL): 2-5, 3B, R, 5 RBI.
The Brewers continue to get big performances from all kinds of players, and Blake Perkins was the superstar on Wednesday, knocking in five runs, including a bases-clearing triple in the win. The switch-hitter is more known for his glove in the outfield, but showed he can handle the bat a bit as well for MLB’s best team.
