Padres: Trent Grisham is this team’s most underrated weapon

Coming off back-to-back wins over the Dodgers on the road, the Padres seem to be picking up some steam. Fernando Tatis Jr. popped a pair of home runs off Clayton Kershaw Friday night – and Trent Grisham added two more hits in the victory.

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The San Diego outfielder has been nothing short of dominant early this season. That two-hit effort boosted his line to an eye-popping .333/.418/.604 on the year. He seems like a lock to set a new career-high in home runs, given he’s already got four and he’s never hit more than 10 in a year – and he continues to change the game defensively with his Gold Glove-caliber defense.

This guy doesn’t chase outside the zone, hits the ball hard, runs better than just about everybody in the game and is fully capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark. His .438 wOBA ranks in the top seven percent of the league and it really hasn’t mattered how pitchers attack him – he’s doing damage regardless.

As Trent Grisham goes, so go the Padres

As Tatis Jr. has started to settle in coming off his shoulder injury and other guys have battled through slumps, Grisham is the one guy who’s just kept on hitting ever since he made his 2021 debut and hasn’t looked back.

• Last 7 Games:   .333/.407/.458
• Last 14 Games: .333/.418/.604

Still just 24 years old, Grisham is just getting started in his big league career. The former first-round pick and top prospect looks fully capable of being the best defensive center fielder in the league who’s good for 20 homers and 20 stolen bases atop a lineup for years to come.

With the Padres’ window just opening – he’ll have the opportunity to be a key piece of the organization’s hopes of being an annual World Series favorite. And while the likes of Wil Myers, Manny Machado and Tatis Jr. will always get the headlines, make no mistake: Trent Grisham is not an everyday type of player. He’s a superstar-in-the-making – and he’s playing like one already this year.