Padres’ Grisham wins NL Gold Glove after eye-opening first season
Credit: AP Photo
The Padres’ Trent Grisham takes home the NL Gold Glove Award after becoming the outfield leader in 2020.
When A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres traded for Trent Grisham and Zach Davies less than one year ago, there was a lot of upside talk.
Grisham had come off a rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers that left him expendable after just 51 games.
With a need for pitching and outfield help, Grisham came to the young Padres with an expectation of being part of a rotating group with added pop on offense. It was that bat, however, that was expected to be his biggest weapon.
Grisham used the 2020 season not only to show that he was worthy of the upside he was labeled with, but that he is a star and a leader. The 24-year-old started in centerfield on opening day and proceeded to play in all but one game for a Padres team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
He proved early on that he was capable of being the guy in center and only got better from there. He made spectacular plays with his smooth style that included speed and crisp routes like a player who had been doing it for years.
Grisham was at or near the top of countless defensive statistics for most of the season, finishing in the top 5 in errors committed, putouts, assists, and many more.
Golden Grish. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/e1BHusVGGB
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 4, 2020
On Tuesday, Grisham was recognized as National League’s best centerfielder by winning the Gold Glove award over super-star opponents Ronald Acuna and Cody Bellinger. The award is the first for any Padres’ player since 2012 and the first for a centerfielder since Mike Cameron won in 2006.
The award reveals that the rest of the league noticed what Padres’ fans were lucky enough to enjoy nightly. The Padres are now on the national radar heading into 2021 and beyond, and they will do it with a Gold Glove winner in centerfield who is possibly only scratching the surface of his potential.
Kevin is a San Diego Native covering the San Diego Padres and their affiliates