Braves Rookie Does Something Most Only Dream About in MLB Debut

Screenshot

by Julian Spivey
Vaughn Grissom wasn’t supposed to be in the big leagues. Hell, he hadn’t even played a game yet at AAA. He’s only played 22 games in AA. But there he was on Wednesday night (August 10) at Fenway Park penciled in the starting lineup at second base (his true position is shortstop) for the Atlanta Braves in town to play the Boston Red Sox. He had just gotten into town from Pearl, Miss., where the Braves AA team plays.

Before the night was over he would’ve lived something most of us only dreamt of as children.

Grissom was called up to the Braves after Orlando Arcia, the fourth guy to man second base for the reigning World Series champions this season, pulled a hamstring late in an extra-innings game the night before. The only other player who could play second base on the Braves active roster was Ehire Adrianza, who’d only played seven games there this season (three of those since joining the Braves right before the trade deadline last week). But Adrianza is really the Braves only utility infielder on the roster. They needed something more. The most obvious choice in the system would’ve been Braden Shewmake at AAA Gwinnett, but he suffered a season-ending injury on August 6 after colliding with a teammate on defense.

So, the Braves decided to give Grissom, their No. 1 prospect (as ranked by MLB.com), the call. There’s a good chance he’ll be their Opening Day shortstop in 2023, after all, if the team’s current All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson leaves via free agency this upcoming offseason.

When Grissom stepped foot on the field at Fenway Park on Wednesday night he became the third youngest active player in Major League Baseball, behind the guy the Braves had manning center field Michael Harris (whom they brought up to the bigs earlier in the season despite also never playing a game at AAA) and Wander Franco, shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays. Grissom was 21 years, 217 days old.

Things began rather normal for Grissom. In his first career at-bat in the third inning, he grounded into a fielder’s choice. In his second at-bat in the fifth inning, he struck out swinging.

Then came the moment most of us could only ever dream of in the top of the seventh inning. Facing Red Sox reliever Darwinzon Hernandez, Grissom took a first pitch fastball and deposited 412-feet away over the famed Green Monster (completely over it as in out of the entire stadium) in left field of Fenway Park, with a smooth casual bat flip to boot.

Hitting your first major league home run for your first major league hit in your major league debut is special enough, but to do it over the most historically famous wall in the entirety of your sport is damn well fairytale-like.

It’s a moment Grissom and any Braves fan who witnessed it will never forget.

In the top of the ninth inning, Grissom led off the inning by hitting a single to left field. He then stole second base becoming the youngest player in baseball history to hit a homer and steal a base in their debut (so long Jose Offerman, now lost to history). Just another accolade for the young man who was never supposed to be here this soon. 

---