Braves' Vaughn Grissom earning starting job early in spring training

When it comes to Spring Training, everything should be taken with a grain of salt. Oftentimes, success in the Grapefruit League doesn’t carry over once the bright lights are on. However, for players that are competing for starting jobs, the only thing teams can do is judge what they see on the field. And right now, Vaughn Grissom is establishing himself as the starting shortstop of the Atlanta Braves.

The sample size is miniscule. Grissom has only been to the plate seven times, but in those at-bats, he already has four hits, including a double, and three RBIs. His defense also hasn’t come into question at shortstop, which is the primary cause for concern. As far as offense goes, it wouldn’t be shocking if Grissom was even better than Dansby Swanson. The Braves won’t miss a beat as long as he’s even average defensively.

Orlando Arcia is the man Grissom is competing with for the job. He has one hit in four at-bats, which isn’t too shabby, but we know what Arcia is at this point in his career. He should primarily be used as a utility piece unless emergency strikes. The Braves are going to roll with Grissom if it’s close, and so far he’s giving the organization no reason not to trust him.