Power wasn't the issue for regular-season Trent Grisham in 2022. The center fielder hit a career-high 17 home runs for the Padres.
Contact was the problem. Grisham batted .184/.284/.341 and struck out 150 times in 524 plate appearances.
Except for the power, playoff Trent Grisham has been a completely different hitter.
His fourth-inning home run Friday night at Petco Park proved to be the difference in the Padres' 2-1 Game 3 NLDS victory over the Dodgers, giving San Diego a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
The drive off Andrew Heaney was Grisham's third dinger in six postseason games dating to Game 1 of San Diego's Wild Card Series against the Mets.
Trent Grisham is having himself a #POSTSEASON! pic.twitter.com/sZ2rRaU4JE
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2022
MORE: Padres-Dodgers NLDS TV schedule, results
And he continued to put bat to ball. After a 2-for-4 night (he singled in the second) with one strikeout, his playoff numbers are .389/.522/.889 and a 17.3 percent K rate, 11 points below his regular-season percentage.
"I really just kind of feel like myself again. That's really what it is. Being able to compete every day and just go out there and help the team win in multiple facets," Grisham said after the game. "That's really been the biggest thing for me, and it's been great."
Grisham said before the Dodger series (per MLB.com) that he began to regain his stroke in the final week of the regular season.
Who is Trent Grisham?
Grisham is the Padres' regular center fielder. The 25-year-old Texas native came to San Diego in a trade with the Brewers in November 2019. He was acquired with right-hander Zach Davies in exchange for left-hander Eric Lauer, infielder Luis Urias and a player to be named.
He established himself in 2020, playing in 59 of the Padres' 60 games, hitting 10 home runs and winning a Gold Glove in center field. In 2021, his first full six-month MLB season, he hit 15 homers and posted a .740 OPS (106 OPS+).
In 2022, his defense (15 outs above average, tied for second among MLB outfielders) kept him in the lineup despite the poor offensive numbers.
"I think the thing that really is incredible is where he's gone to at the end of the season to where he is right now in the postseason," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "This is kind of who he is as a player, but it was a tough road getting there."
Expect Grisham to be back out there Saturday night, hitting at the bottom of the order once more, as the Padres try to eliminate the 111-win Dodgers in Game 4.
