Vaughn Grissom Is Heating Up — And Nobody's Paying Attention

Vaughn Grissom just posted a .342 wOBA over the last seven days, a significant jump from his .284 mark over the past 30. His strikeout rate has been cut nearly in half — from 24.1% to 15.4% — and the hard-hit quality backs it up at 60.6%. At 3% rostered with zero ownership velocity, this is a signal the mainstream hasn't caught yet. WaiverScout has.

The Rolling Window Tells the Story

Grissom's transformation over the last two weeks has been methodical, not fluky. Zoom out and the progression is clear:

  • 30-day: .228 AVG, .284 wOBA, 24.1% K%, 44.1% HardHit%, 86.7 mph EV
  • 14-day: .275 AVG, .369 wOBA, 14.0% K%, 51.9% HardHit%, 86.9 mph EV
  • 7-day: .261 AVG, .342 wOBA, 15.4% K%, 60.6% HardHit%, 87.8 mph EV

Every underlying metric is trending in the right direction. The strikeout rate dropping from 24.1% to the mid-15s isn't a one-game blip — it's held steady across both the 7-day and 14-day windows, covering 57 plate appearances. That's a solid sample. The batting average over 14 days (.275) sits comfortably above the 30-day number, and the three home runs in that stretch show the power is present when contact quality improves.

The Batted Ball Data Is Real

This is where the case strengthens. Grissom's hard-hit rate has climbed from 44.1% at the 30-day mark to 60.6% over the last week. That's not a marginal improvement — that's a fundamentally different hitter. His exit velocity has ticked up to 87.8 mph, and while that's not elite, it's trending the right direction alongside the hard-hit surge. When a player simultaneously cuts strikeouts and increases hard contact, the underlying approach change is usually genuine.

His most recent game — 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI on September 2nd — followed a 3-for-5, 4-RBI explosion on August 31st. He's been in the lineup consistently with 26 PA over the last seven days, confirming the Angels are giving him everyday run.

WaiverScout Has Been Tracking This

We first flagged Grissom as a Watch back on July 12 when he was rostered in just 1% of leagues. He bounced between Watch and Deprioritize through the summer as the performance wavered, but the signal kept pulling us back. When we elevated him to Add Now on July 31, he was at 6% ownership. The broader fantasy world didn't bite — he's now back down to 3%. That's a market inefficiency. The data today is stronger than it was when we issued that Add Now classification, particularly the strikeout rate improvement and hard-hit quality.

No major fantasy publication is currently covering Grissom. This signal is ahead of the curve.

The Positional Edge

Grissom's multi-position eligibility at 1B, 2B, and 3B gives him lineup flexibility that managers covet down the stretch. If you're comparing waiver options at the hot corner, names like Royce Lewis and Sal Stewart carry more mainstream buzz, but Grissom's recent two-week production — .369 wOBA with 3 HR across 57 PA — is the kind of stretch that demands attention.

Verdict: Watch

Grissom is a Watch, not an add — yet. The strikeout rate improvement and hard-hit quality are real and supported by a solid 57 PA sample. But the zero walk rate over the last seven days and the fact that his 30-day numbers still show a below-average profile mean we need one more week of confirmation. If the K% stays suppressed and the hard contact holds, this shifts to an add quickly. Get him on your shortlist now. At 3% rostered with no ownership movement, you have time — but not much.