Vaughn Grissom Is Hitting the Ball Harder Than Almost Anyone on Your Waiver Wire

Vaughn Grissom just posted a 100.1 mph average exit velocity and a 75.0% hard-hit rate over the last seven days. At 3% rostered, he's essentially free. The question is whether this surge is real — and the data says it's getting harder to dismiss.

The Rolling Window Tells the Story

Look at the trajectory across Grissom's rolling splits and the escalation is unmistakable:

  • 30-day wOBA: .303 — mediocre, barely replacement-level production.
  • 14-day wOBA: .423 — now we're talking. That's elite-tier offensive output.
  • 7-day wOBA: .484 — this is not a typo. That's an absurd number over 14 plate appearances.

His batting average has followed the same arc: .225 over 30 days, .333 over both the 14-day and 7-day windows. The strikeout rate has remained controlled — 13.3% over 30 days, 14.3% over 14 days — with a slight uptick to 21.4% in the most recent 7-day stretch, though that's a tiny sample within the sample. The walk rate has nudged up from 6.7% to 7.1%, suggesting his plate discipline hasn't eroded even as he's swinging with more authority.

The Batted Ball Data Is What Matters Most

This isn't just about results — the underlying contact quality validates the surge. Over the last seven days, Grissom is registering a 100.1 mph average exit velocity and a 75.0% hard-hit rate. Compare that to his 14-day marks (93.7 mph EV, 55% hard-hit) and his 30-day baseline (91.1 mph EV, 55.4% hard-hit), and you can see the mechanical improvement in real time. He's not getting lucky. He's squaring the ball up at an elite level.

With 42 plate appearances over five games in the broader sample window, this isn't a one-game mirage. That's a solid sample — enough to say the signal is worth monitoring seriously.

WaiverScout Has Been Tracking This

We first flagged Grissom as a Watch back on May 11 when he was rostered in just 1% of leagues. The algorithm deprioritized him twice in April and again in early May when the data wasn't there. But the signal flipped on May 11, held on May 30, and has only strengthened since. This is exactly how WaiverScout is designed to work — catching the inflection point before the masses pile in.

And right now, the masses aren't paying attention. FantasyPros lists him among their tracked players, but there's virtually no mainstream buzz. Yahoo Sports highlighted his 3-RBI performance against Colorado, but the broader fantasy community hasn't caught on yet. At 3% rostered with only a +1% move over the past week, the ownership velocity is stable — meaning you still have time, but that window narrows fast once a player strings together another week like this.

The Multi-Position Eligibility Sweetener

Grissom carries 1B, 2B, and 3B eligibility with the Angels, giving him roster flexibility that amplifies his value. If you're looking at the corner infield waiver pool and comparing him to someone like Sal Stewart, Grissom's recent Statcast profile gives him a clear edge in contact quality right now.

Verdict: Watch

The recommendation is Watch — not add blindly, but move him to the top of your priority list. The 7-day wOBA of .484, the 100.1 mph exit velocity, and the 75% hard-hit rate are screaming that something has changed mechanically. The 30-day numbers (.303 wOBA, .225 AVG) keep this from being an instant add — we need to see if the hard-hit gains stick for another week. But at 3% rostered, there's no cost to monitoring him closely. If the exit velocity holds above 95 mph and the hard-hit rate stays elevated through next week, this becomes an add. The numbers back it up. Don't sleep on this one.