Aug 13, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder Randall Grichuk (15) bats during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Randall Grichuk's Long Awaited Yankees Debut - What to Expect

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 11:15 AM ET

For a guy who's raked against this team in his career, it's about time the New York Yankees get to see what Randal Grichuk can do for them.

New York Post's Greg Joyce announced that Grichuk is set to make his Spring Training debut at George Steinbrenner Field on March 9.

That game will be against the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Yankees return home from a two-game roadstand.

Grichuk has played for six MLB teams in his illustrious career that began back in 2014. No matter what he's done against the Yankees, all of that must be put to rest as he's wearing the Pinstripes for the very first time.

Randal Grichuk Eyes Opening Day Roster

The plan is for Randal Grichuk to make his spring debut on Monday.
— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) March 6, 2026

Spencer Jones is this team's top outfield prospect and a guy like Jasson Dominguez is fighting for a roster spot as well. It's far from a guarantee that Grichuk will make the Opening Day roster, but at the end of the day they brought him here to compete.

If Cody Bellinger is truly dealing with a nagging injury, Grichuk could help fill that spot for however long the team deems necessary. Throughout his career he's played 580 games in right field, 470 in center, and 215 in left. Clearly, he's about as well balanced as you can get.

That flexability will certainly help the Yankees who are down a guy like Aaron Judge due to the World Baseball Classic. Obviously they'll have Judge back for Opening Day, but this still gives Grichuk a ton of extra reps without having to worry about the Yankees captain.

Grichuk's Numbers Have Been Declining

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Yankees newest signing is 34-years old and hasn't had a ton of success recently. While he had a 2.2 WAR in 2024 that number fell to -0.8 a year ago. His OPS was down to .674 in 2025 which is quite a steep fall from the .875 it was with the Arizona Diamondbacks the year prior.

Grichuk's K% went from 16.5% in '24 to 20.8% a year ago. If that's not enough, his BB% fell from 7.2% to 5.8%. There's a clear decline across the board, though somehow his Max EV went up from 112.3 to 115.5, according to Baseball Savant.

There doesn't seem to be a role carved out for Grichuk on the Yankees roster , but obviously they brought him here to prove himself. This team did the same thing with a guy like Paul DeJong because at the end of the day Spring Training is about giving guys opportunities and seeing if there are any under the radar veterans who could give this squad a boost.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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