Yankees Need to See More From Randal Grichuk

The New York Yankees keep trotting out the journeyman outfielder in hopes that he will eventually contribute, but so far, he has just one hit on the season.

New York Yankees left fielder Randal Grichuk (34) before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Randal Grichuk used to be a nightmare for the New York Yankees. When he played for the Blue Jays, Grichuk would punish them. It didn't matter where Toronto was in the standings or the game situation. If Grichuk was up, something bad was going to happen.

Against the Yankees, Grichuk hit .253/.302/.523 in 255 plate appearances. He had 18 homers and 28 extra-base hits against them. That somehow undersells how much he walloped the Yankees over the years.

Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (13) is congratulated by center fielder Randal Grichuk (15) as he hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

These days, Grichuk is hurting the Yankees in a different way. This time, it is simply by playing for them, not contributing anything like he did for Toronto. If he were one-fourth as good as he was then, that would be an upgrade from what Grichuk has been since the start of the season.

On the season, Grichuk is hitting .063/.118/.125 with a -33 wRC+. Of course, in all fairness to the struggling righty, it is in a short sample size.

Grichuk has 17 plate appearances this season. Just like it felt his numbers against the Yankees were low since it seemed like he was crushing them every chance he got in Toronto, in 2026, it feels like Grichuk has had way more run than his playing time would suggest. The big spots always find him, and Aaron Boone seems perfectly content to keep him there, too.

Grichuk's underlying metrics will only save him for so long

It will be interesting to see just how long the Yankees will keep running Grichuk out there. His double off reliever Bryce Teodosio may have bought him a little more time. Boone loves his silver linings, and despite it having little impact on the game, since the Yankees were already down big, you know that 110.9 mph exit velocity may be a shot of life as far as Grichuk's time with the Yankees goes.

Randal Grichuk ends his 0 for 15 start to the season with a leadoff double in the eighth pic.twitter.com/z6ueGFPiwp

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 15, 2026

While the back of Grichuk's baseball card is a scary sight right about now, it is those underlying metrics that are probably tantalizing to the Yankees. In his limited playing time, Grichuk has a .363 xwOBA, according to Baseball Savant. He also has a .601 expected slugging, 42.9% barrel rate, and a 57.1% hard hit rate. That 110 mph liner is the result of a hitter who has made good contact. It has just found gloves.

The unfortunate thing for Grichuk is that Jasson Dominguez is red hot in Triple-A. It is Grichuk that took his spot, and until he really starts contributing, the noise about his place on the team will continue to be loud.

To quiet that noise, and also have a place on the Yankees in the future, Grichuk needs to start contributing. That double needs to be a starting point.

It doesn't seem likely that he'll be the second coming of Matt Carpenter or Mike Tauchman, but considering the Yankees' offense is struggling, if he does have something left in the tank, sticking with him will have been a worthwhile gamble. It just doesn't feel that way right about now, while the Yankees continue to free fall.