The son of the 17-year Major Leaguer of the same name, Grissom headed to Georgia Tech but saw rough results as a starter for the Yellow Jackets, finishing with a 6.68 ERA and 62 walks in 91 2/3 innings over his two years on campus. He was Draft-eligible after his sophomore campaign in 2022 and went in the 13th round to the Nationals -- the same organization that drafted his father as an Expo in 1988 -- on his 21st birthday. Grissom signed for $125,000 and pitched his entire first full season as a closer for Single-A Fredericksburg, earning 11 saves while posting a 2.18 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 41 1/3 frames. He opened 2024 in the High-A Wilmington bullpen and moved up to Double-A Harrisburg after dominating the South Atlantic League.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander shows average velocity around the 92-94 mph range but can run his heater up to 96-97 too. The standout pitch, however, is easily his low-80s changeup. Not only does the pitch get solid separation from the average heater, but it also fades nicely to Grissom’s armside, leading to some funky swings by left-handers. He held lefties to a .448 OPS during his time with Wilmington, compared to .550 for righties. A low-80s slider also flashes average as a breaking-ball option.
Grissom struggled with control in college but has reined that in during shorter stints in the pros. His athletic delivery should help keep throwing strikes with the fastball, allowing him to get chase on the other pitches. Already young for a drafted college pitcher, he’s put himself on the fast track in 2024 and could use that fastball-changeup combo to be a bullpen factor against batters from either side.
