Randal Alexander Grichuk
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lb.
- High School Lamar Consolidated High School
- Debut April 28, 2014
Outfielder Randal Grichuk was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first round of the 2009 amateur draft with the 24th overall pick. He was signed by scout Kevin Ham and made his pro debut that summer with the AZL Angels, hitting .322 with 7 homers in 53 games, an excellent start to a professional career for a 17-year-old.
Grichuk had played for the Richmond, TX team in the 2003 Little League World Series.
Given his young age, the Angels did not rush him through his system, putting him back in the Arizona League to start 2010, where he hit .327 in 10 games. He then moved up to the Midwest League, where he hit .292 with 19 doubles and 7 homers in 52 games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 2011, an injury cost him a good chunk of the season, as he played only 14 game sin the California League, where he should have been all year, the rest of his time being back with the AZL Angels and Cedar Rapids on rehabilitation assignments. Altogether, he played 53 games, hitting only .256 in what was a lost year. He bounced back in 2012 with a full season for the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League, putting up a .298 average, with 30 doubles, 9 triples and 18 homers, with 79 runs scored and 71 RBIs in an excellent all-around season. In 2013, he was promoted to AA and the Arkansas Travelers of the Midwest League. Still only 21, he fell back to .256/.306/.474 in 128 games, but his power was still very good, with 27 doubles, 8 triples and 22 homers. He also scored 85 runs.
On November 22, 2013, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with OF Peter Bourjos in return for 3B David Freese and P Fernando Salas. He was assigned to the Memphis Redbirds to start the 2014 season and hit .310 in 21 games before getting the call to St. Louis in late April. He made his debut on April 28th against the Milwaukee Brewers, taking over in right field in the 9th inning as part of a double switch. Greg Garcia had also made his debut for the Cards in the same game, as a pinch-hitter. The game went into extra innings and Randal went to bat twice, being out on an infield fly against Brandon Kintzler in the bottom of the 9th and striking out against Zach Duke in the 11th before the Brewers won the game, 5-3, in 12 innings; he also played an inning in center field during the game as the Cards made numerous substitutions.
- 2015 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (2016)
- Jenifer Langosch: "Gifted Grichuk aims to follow No. 15's footsteps: Young center fielder gleaning wisdom from Edmonds at camp", mlb.com, February 25, 2016.