Sports

Randal Grichuk Pickup Proving to be a Steal for White Sox

By Andrew Jamieson Athlon Sports

The Chicago White Sox have been one of baseball's best stories in 2026.

A major reason behind the team's recent surge has been veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk.

The 34-year-old began the season with the New York Yankees after signing a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training. Although Grichuk earned a spot on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, he was designated for assignment on April 29 after struggling offensively in a bench role.

Across 16 games with New York, Grichuk slashed a lackluster .194/.212/.323 with two RBIs and 10 strikeouts over 31 at-bats.

Shortly after electing free agency, Grichuk found a new opportunity when the White Sox signed him on May 4 for outfield depth. At the time, Chicago was dealing with injuries to Austin Hays (left calf strain) and Everson Pereira (right pectoral strain), both of whom landed and are still on the 10-day injured list.

Since arriving on the South Side, a change of scenery has done wonders for Grichuk.

In 18 games with Chicago, he is slashing .333/.368/.694 with four home runs and 13 RBIs. During that span, Grichuk owns an impressive 1.062 OPS and 193 OPS+.

He added to that success yesterday with a two-out, three-run double that helped lead the White Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Grichuk's turnaround has also coincided with Chicago's recent surge in the standings. Before Grichuk arrived, the White Sox held a 16-18 record. Since his debut, Chicago has gone 13-9 and climbed into second place in the AL Central.

Despite Grichuk's success, however, his future role with the White Sox remains somewhat unclear.

Hays appears to be nearing a return, as he is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. The 30-year-old has been limited to just 12 games this season after signing a one-year, $6 million contract with Chicago during the offseason.

Even with two separate injured list stints this year, Hays' track record should still earn him regular playing time despite his slow start. He is currently slashing .233/.250/.326 with one home run and seven RBIs in 43 at-bats.

Grichuk is also not the only outfielder making a strong case for consistent playing time.

Rookie Sam Antonacci has provided a spark at the top of Chicago's lineup. In 39 games, the 23-year-old is slashing .286/.385/.381 with one home run, 13 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. Additionally, Tristan Peters has hit .274 and produced enough to likely remain on the roster.

This could leave Luisangel Acuña and Derek Hill as the potential odd men out once Hays and Pereira return. Recent call-up Rikuu Nishida has also shown flashes defensively, but his path to consistent at-bats remains limited.

Andrew Benintendi can still factor into the outfield mix as well, though he has struggled offensively this season, hitting just .228.

While Grichuk has primarily been limited to a platoon role in recent years, his impressive run with Chicago has been too good to let go of.

The White Sox will soon have to solve an unfamiliar problem: having too many deserving players and not enough spots in the lineup.

For a franchise that has been at the bottom recently, that may be one of the clearest signs that things are trending upward on the South Side.

The White Sox sit at 29-27 and begin a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers tonight at 7:40 ET.

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 8:27 AM.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER