Vaughn Grissom cannot wait to prove Braves fans wrong

Atlanta Braves shortstop Vaughn Grissom has taken the doubt about his defensive ability to heart, and he can’t wait to prove us all wrong.

If there’s anything to worry about with Vaughn Grissom’s transition to a full-time shortstop, it’s his ability on defense. Grissom isn’t a natural shortstop, and he’s a little tall to play the position regularly.

But that didn’t stop the Braves and Ron Washington from vouching for him the offseason, and that sure won’t limit Grissom’s high ceiling. The Atlanta shortstop is intent on proving everyone one.

“That’s like part of every athlete’s dream is to prove everyone wrong,” Grissom said, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.

Braves: Vaughn Grissom embraces a challenge

Grissom went on to express that he understood his demotion out of spring training. Atlanta’s coaching staff did a great job framing the argument to Grissom, and proving that he still had work to do to prove he could be an everyday player at an in-demand position.

“I knew there was still some marinating to be done,” Grissom said. “It felt good knowing I had done a decent enough job, but you can’t be just decent.”

Grissom raked in Triple-A, which eventually earned him a call-up to the big leagues when Orlando Arcia went down with an injury. It’s unclear exactly how long Grissom will stay at the big-league level. His bat is as capable as ever, but he still struggles defensively. FanSided’s John Buhler wrote about Grissom’s predictable Atlanta season debut.

"“Grissom went 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI, but made his first error of the year in his season debut in a shaky defensive performance throughout. He may have made a few big plays as the game progressed, but Washington was reaffirmed in his decision to have Grissom start the 2023 campaign in the minors. Thankfully, the Royals are rebuilding and the Braves’ bats were booming.”"

If he wants to stay in the majors, Grissom needs to prove his defense has improved along with his bat. Or else he’ll be right back in Gwinnett when Arcia comes off the IL.