It is not “Angels in the Outfield” helping the San Diego Padres (29-17) to a first-place record in a loaded National League West Division. It’s two Brothas in the outfield, sorry Kevin Costner.
Those MLBbros are centerfielder Trent Grisham and left fielder Tommy Pham who are leading the Padres to the top of their division, making key contributions that might be going under the radar.
The N.L West is one of the best divisions in baseball with three teams at the top of the entire league; the Padres, Giants, and 2020 World Season Champion Dodgers. The Padres are getting it done on the mound as well, ranking first in strikeouts per nine innings. If all three teams stay the course, they will have their sub-regional in the playoffs.
“Offense wins games and defense wins championships” is one very popular expression. Trenton “Gresh” Grisham 24, from Burleson, TX is one of the leaders in defense for the Padres and in 2020 was one of the 12 best defenders in all of baseball, obtaining a Gold Glove for his defensive efforts.
He has continued that trend into 2021 and combined with Tommy Pham and right-fielder Will Myers, the Padres outfield is another defensive lock. Grish is also batting .301 and is giving the Padres enough firepower offensively.
Thomas “Phamtastic” Pham 33, from Las Vegas, NV is the other anchor in the Padres outfield and is playing well despite coming back from injuries suffered in 2020 that still somewhat hinder him to this day. In October, Pham was stabbed in the back after leaving a club.
That injury coupled with a wrist injury might be impeding his ability to hit the ball well at this moment and his batting average is .195, but the MLB season is long and he has plenty of time to improve upon that statistic. His veteran leadership is going to be something that the young, ambitious Padres will need if they want to make a deeper postseason run this season.
The outfield superheroes were not affected by the recent Covid-19 outbreak that hit the Padres and they were spared from catching the virus. The only downside to the Padres defense is that they lead MLB with over 22 errors and they will need to shore that up if they want to make a serious run at a World Series title.
In baseball, you need a strong infield and an even stronger outfield because you have more ground to cover and you have to turn on the jets with regularity. The Padres have some burners in the outfield.
Manager Jayce Tingler noted that Pham is “special” and “competitive in everything that he does.” Pham is also always looking to improve at any opportunity. The steady veteran is looking for a shot at a title.
The second-year Grisham is not only an amazing defender, he’s a strong on-base weapon atop San Diego’s lineup. He’s clearly a long-term solution and future superstar of the Padres outfield. Together they make up an outfield that’s as stingy as Scrooge on Christmas.
Keep your eye out on these players because it’s going to be a shootout in the wild wild west come playoffs.