Odd Fits In Pinstripes: The Most Unexpected Yankees Ever

You could say that some of, if not all the players on this list are considered ‘forgotten’ when it comes to their Yankees career. Nonetheless it just feels weird that they even wore pinstripes, almost like their whole Yankees tenure was a fever dream

HM: Neil Walker (2018 / 113 games).

Neil Walker signed with the Yankees via a one-year / $4M contract for the 2018 season. Walker would bat .219 with a .664 OPS, posting a -0.3 WAR. Although playing in more games in 2018 compared to 2017 where he spent time with the Mets and Brewers, Walker’s stat line regressed (although he did have almost 40 less ABs despite more games played). Neil Walker is mainly remembered for his days on the Pirates. Although he was only on the Yankees for a lone season, it just felt weird seeing him in pinstripes.

5: Todd Frazier (2017 / 66 games)

Todd Frazier is another player on this list who spent time on both the Yankees and Mets. Playing in the Bronx first, Frazier was a midseason trade piece from the White Sox. Frazier, who wore No.21 in idolization of Yankees’ great Paul O’Neill, had to switch to No.29 due to 21 being retired by New York. Only being on the Yanks’ for the second half of the 2017 season, the former home run power hitter duce’s with a .222 average. Frazier playing on the Yankees is probably more forgettable than it is ‘weird’, but nonetheless I don’t think anyone remembers Todd Frazier as a New York Yankee, if anything he can be remembered as a Met.

4: Cameron Maybin (2019 / 82 games)

Cameron Maybin was a very early season trade acquisition by the Yankees. The Cleveland Indians traded Maybin, who started the 2019 season in the minors, and got sent over to the Bronx for cash considerations. Posting nearly 2.0 WAR, Maybin’s consistent high-level play and true New York personality made him an instant fan favorite. Maybin went 68-for-239, for a .285 BA and a .858 OPS for the second-highest OPS+ in his career. The-then 32-year-old’s best Pinstripe moment was when he smashed a home run for four-straight games. Maybin’s time on the Yankees felt a lot shorter than 82 games, but I guess time flies by when you’re having fun, and it was definitely fun watching Maybin as a Yankee.

3: Kevin Youkilis (2013 / 28 games)

“Billy, that is Kevin Youkilis. That is the Greek god of walks.” Youkilis only drew 8 walks in 28 games for the Yankees. Being the first non-Met on this list, Youkilis ws on a team much worse than the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox. The addition of Youkilis was brought to a lot of dismay from Yankee loyalists, both Robinson Cano and A-Rod advocated for Youkilis. Multiple stints on the injured list with back issues would then lead to season-ending surgery, in what sums up as the worst year of Youkilis’ career. The 2013 season would be the last season Kevin Youkilis was in the majors. It’s hard to remember someone who didn’t barley played a months worth of games, especially at a low production rate.

2: Rougned Odor (2021, 2024  / 102 games)

Rougned Odor will forever be known for punching Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista in the face, what he isn’t known for was his time on the Yankees. It frankly seemed out of place that Odor was a Yankee, I mean he looked like a completely different guy without his beard – I bet Odor wishes he wasn’t on the Yankees till 2025 so he could’ve kept it. Odor hit .202 in 102 games in 2021. He would later rejoin the Yankees in 2024 under a minor league contract, and was never promoted to the majors.

1: Andrew McCutchen (2018 / 25 games)

A midseason trade piece from SanFran, Andrew McCutchen had to change his jersey number for the first time in his career which was No.22 to No.26, due to 22 already being taken by Jacoby Ellsbury. McCutchen had 22 walks in his 25 games played as a Yankee, along with 5 home runs that contributed to his .892 OPS with the Yanks’. McCutchen started his career as a Pirate, and will likely end it as one too - His time in New York honestly seemed like a side quest in what is undoubtedly a potential hall of fame career. He also is one of many players in recent history pre-2025 season, that was on the Yankees while being against their facial hair policy, saying "it takes away from our individualism as players and as people."

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