Presumptive starter Grissom still determined to earn it

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The beginning of Spring Training is usually a time to catch up with teammates, swap offseason stories and gently ease back into a very long grind.

Vaughn Grissom didn’t get that memo.

Grissom was already dressed and at it by 8 a.m. Wednesday, a new face prepared to prove he belongs at second base.

Not long after Grissom was acquired from the Braves on Dec. 30, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the club viewed him “as someone that can play every day.” Grissom, whose path to the Majors was previously blocked by Atlanta's talented young core, is ready for his work to pay off.

“It's great to get a clear opportunity. I kind of liked the [one I had with the Braves], too, because I like to grind, and I love the doubt,” Grissom said. “It's just something that drives athletes. Whatever situation I'm in, I don't just take it as a win or anything; I feel like I still have to go out and earn everything.”

Grissom’s blue-collar mentality didn’t hurt any during his meteoric rise from Single-A Augusta in 2021 to his Major League debut on Aug. 10, 2022, when he mashed his first MLB homer … over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

The work ethic is certainly there, and manager Alex Cora is “very excited” about Grissom, particularly his bat. Grissom slashed .287/.339/.407 in 64 games for Atlanta between 2022-23, and he saw his K rate, hard-hit rate and xBA improve from his debut season. He added a .330 batting average, 61 RBIs and a .920 OPS in 102 games with Triple-A Gwinnett in ‘23.

Cora and his staff like what they’ve seen so far and are optimistic that small tweaks, rather than sweeping changes, will help Grissom the most.

“We do believe that the stronger he gets, mechanics-wise, there are a few things sequencing-wise [Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse] has recognized,” Cora said. “If we can get that, then we’re going to have the final product.”

Grissom isn’t afraid of extra work. He accepted an assignment with Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican Winter League this past offseason. At the time, it seemed as though the Braves were giving Grissom a chance to test drive the outfield, as second baseman Ozzie Albies and the rest of Atlanta’s talented infield blocked his path to the Majors. But less than a month -- and not many appearances on the grass -- later, Grissom was headed to Boston just in time to ring in the new year.

While many 22-year-olds were out toasting away New Year’s Eve without a care in the world, Grissom (who turned 23 on Jan. 5) spent the evening with his uncle in Puerto Rico with a head full of questions and a whole lot of motivation.

“I want to play the cool card and say [the news of being traded] was fine,” Grissom chuckled, “but … every five minutes, it would hit me, like, 'Oh, you're on a different team now.'”

A new team for the new year, and with it an opportunity to begin anew -- to leave the defensive blips he had with the Braves behind him and, as Grissom put it, to “write my own book.”

His early Red Sox chapters already include smashing a homer out of JetBlue Park off fellow newcomer Lucas Giolito on Tuesday and impressing Cora with his handiwork while turning double plays Wednesday.

“I don't really care about proving to everyone else [that I can play every day]; I just want to prove it to myself,” Grissom added. “The offseason brings a lot of doubt, which is good, in my opinion. I love the unsure ... and just the weight.

“My last at-bat [with Atlanta] was the strikeout to send us home [in the deciding game of the National League Division Series], so it's like a little fire and the gas. It feels good, and I'm just trying to prove myself. I just want to be the best person I can be.”

The Red Sox have sought consistency at second for the past six or so seasons. They also have room in the lineup. Grissom has the tools, the motivation and the mindset. If he can put it all together this spring, it could be a best-case scenario for both sides.

“He has a pretty good idea of what he wants to do,” Cora said. “I think the power will come with more repetitions, but where he is right now, we like him.”