Fox Sports Turns Heads With Yankees Announcement

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Fox Sports Turns Heads With Yankees Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Any list featuring the greatest New York Yankees includes the names you'd expect: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter.

What about Willie Randolph?

Fox Sports asked that same question this week, listing Randolph as the starting second baseman in their all-time Yankees lineup. For the unfamiliar, Randolph hit .275 with 549 RBIs and a .731 OPS from 1976-88. His 251 stolen bases rank fourth in franchise history, trailing only Jeter (358), Rickey Henderson (326), and Brett Gardner (274).

Randolph earned four All-Star nods with the Yankees and won two championships. He and ace pitcher Ron Guidry served as co-captains from 1986-88.

"A scrappy force to be reckoned with," Fox Sports wrote, "Randolph was a contact hitter who swiped bags with consistency and was a steady force at second base."

New York Yankees second baseman Willie Randolph in 1979Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Randolph's inclusion is noteworthy for two reasons, one being that he's relatively unknown compared to the list's other names. Eight of the 11 players are in the Hall of Fame, and designated hitter Aaron Judge is certainly on his way there. Manager Casey Stengel is also in the Hall of Fame.

Randolph and third baseman Alex Rodriguez are the only eligible players not enshrined in Cooperstown, though Rodriguez's lack of a bronze plaque has far more to do with his PED use than his overall numbers.

It's also surprising how few Yankees have a legitimate argument to beat out Randolph for the starting second base job. Randolph's 54.0 bWAR with the Yankees easily tops Tony Lazzeri (46.3) and Joe Gordon (36.6), though both are in the Hall of Fame.

Some X/Twitter users suggested Alfonso Soriano, but he only had two elite seasons in New York. If anything, Robinson Canó had the best case to earn the starting second base job despite two PED-related suspensions. Canó hit .309 with 204 homers, a .860 OPS, and a 44.4 bWAR in his nine Yankees seasons.

Willie Randolph vs. Robinson Canó is the Yankees argument you didn't know that you needed. Choose your fighter!

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

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