In a sport where mental toughness is as crucial as a good swing, New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham just pulled back the curtain on a truth rarely spoken – and the raw confession is shaking fans to the core.
Grisham, now quietly playing behind Bronx giants Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, opened up to the New York Post about how his time with the San Diego Padres nearly broke him – not physically, but mentally. In an emotional interview, he admitted that during the 2023 season, he wasn’t just in a slump… he was in survival mode.
“I just got into a bad place where I was thinking negatively a lot more often than I want to admit,” Grisham revealed. “I was playing very fearfully on the field.”
Playing not to lose
What started as a performance dip turned into something far deeper – a loss of joy, confidence, and instinct. Every play was haunted by doubt. He stopped playing to win and started playing not to lose.
“There’s no IL stint for self-doubt,” the center fielder said. “It’s a very fearful mentality… instead of staying in the present moment.”
But Grisham didn’t stay down for long. Realizing that his mind, once his greatest weapon, had become his weakness, he made the difficult decision to reset – turning back to sports psychology, the same mental discipline that had helped him rise in the first place.
“I kind of re-fell in love with it… reminded myself of how important it was to me,” he said. And with time, that mental edge came back – sharpened, battle-tested, and stronger than before.
A new stage for Grisham
Now, in New York, Grisham might not be front and center, but his mindset is. Behind the scenes, he’s a reminder that the toughest battles in baseball often aren’t against a 98 mph fastball – but the voice inside telling you you’re not enough.
In a game that thrives on swagger, Trent Grisham’s quiet resilience might just be the Yankees’ most underrated strength.
Read the full article here