Randal Alexander Grichuk (born August 13, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies.
Grichuk was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft from Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas. He played five seasons in the Angels' minor leagues system, losing time to injury but also developing home-run hitting ability throughout before the Angels traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in November 2013, with whom he made his major league debut on April 28, 2014. He spent four seasons with the Cardinals before he was traded to the Blue Jays prior to the 2018 season. After four seasons with Toronto, he was traded to the Rockies, then traded to the Angels at the 2023 trade deadline, where he was originally drafted.
Early life and amateur career
In 2003 and 2004, Grichuk participated in the Little League World Series for Lamar National of Richmond, Texas. He was featured in Sports Illustrateds "Faces in the Crowd" section in July 2005.
Grichuk attended Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas. In 2008, as a Lamar Consolidated Baseball player, he was a First Team All-State OF and the All-Houston Area Most Valuable Player (MVP). That season, Grichuk batted .435 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI, leading the Mustangs to a school record 29 wins and a Regional Final appearance. In 2009, he was the 24-4A District MVP, Fort Bend Area MVP, 2009 1st Team All State OF, and 2009 1st Team All-American (EA Sports and Baseball America). In 28 games he hit .613 with 21 home runs, 46 hits, 46 RBI and 47 runs before Lamar was defeated in the third round of the playoffs.
Grichuk is of Czechoslovak and Russian descent.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues (2009–14) Grichuk committed to attend the University of Arizona. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted Grichuk in the first round, with the 24th overall selection, in the 2009 MLB draft, one selection ahead of Mike Trout. Grichuk signed with the Angels, rather than attend college.
A series of three unusual injuries delayed the outfield prospect's development. First, he tore a ligament after just 12 games in . Second, he batted a foul ball that fractured his knee cap. Finally, while diving for a ball, he broke his wrist. In 2012, his first full season, Grichuk played 135 games and batted .298 with 18 home runs and 71 runs batted in with the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers. After a promotion to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers in 2013, he made 128 appearances, batting .256 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI. In October 2013, Rawlings and MiLB announced Grichuk was the recipient of the Minor League Gold Glove Award for right field.
MLB.com ranked Grichuk as the Angels' No. 4 prospect after the 2013 season, and the club added him to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2013. Two days later, they traded him along with Peter Bourjos to the St. Louis Cardinals for David Freese and Fernando Salas. Grichuk began the 2014 season with the Memphis Redbirds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.
St. Louis Cardinals (2014–2017)
2014−15
The Cardinals promoted Grichuk to the majors for the first time on April 28, 2014, after he had slashed .310/.359/.529 with six walks and 17 strikeouts. He debuted as a defensive replacement in the outfield that day. Grichuk made his first major league start in center field the next day, collecting a single in five at-bats for his first major league hit. The Cardinals optioned him back to Memphis shortly thereafter. On May 21, he showed the authorities what he could do with a big game-winning home run versus the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, giving an anonymous fan an autograph after the game. Shortly afterwards, the Cardinals recalled him to the big leagues on May 30. He improved his AAA numbers, slashing .315/.363/.589 with ten home runs. Grichuk received the Cardinals' minor league system Player of the Month Award for May 2014. On June 7, he hit his first major league home run off Toronto Blue Jays' starter Mark Buehrle in a 5–0 victory.