New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. did it all on Sunday afternoon, recording both a home run and a bunt single in a much-needed 8-5 victory over the AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees desperately need Chisholm to step up in the season’s final weeks, especially after oft-injured slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s latest calf injury. Only months after Chisholm boasted about a potential 50-50 season, the two-time All-Star has been worth just 1.1 bWAR with a career-worst .695 OPS.
Despite Sunday’s strong showing, Chisholm is still hitting .194 with a .614 OPS over 19 August games.
“It gets frustrating sometimes, but I have such great teammates in the clubhouse that I just keep my head on a swivel,” Chisholm told reporters. “It just helps me to go on the field, forget about it and wipe it from my memory.”
The New York Yankees need Jazz Chisholm Jr. at his best ahead of the MLB postseason
Outside of his 34 stolen bases, absolutely nothing has gone right for Chisholm this year. He's barely been an above-average player analytically, and his 30.4 percent strikeout rate marks his highest since 2023. But perhaps the worst part, at least for the veteran second baseman himself, is that these struggles have come in a contract season.
With or without Judge, the Yankees likely aren’t going far in the postseason without Chisholm providing a competent presence at the plate. Brian Cashman’s failure to address catching at the trade deadline continues to rear its ugly head, and this offense is still too reliant on home runs. Loading the lineup with power hitters doesn’t mean much if they can’t reach base and are prone to striking out.
Bellinger and Ben Rice are arguably the only hitters the Yankees can trust in October. Trent Grisham provides pop and a patient plate approach, but he’s typically going to only offer singles or home runs at the plate. Right fielder Spencer Jones and shortstop George Lombard Jr. are rookies, and there is no indication that the Yankees would give Lombard’s job back to Anthony Volpe before the playoffs start.
Now is the time for Chisholm to prove that he deserves whatever multi-year contract could come his way this offseason. He’s still a potent and speedy left-handed hitter who doesn’t turn 29 until next February. The concerns about his maturity have mostly gone away, though they’ll occasionally resurface on social media among angry Yankees fans.
The Yankees will be in great shape if Chisholm can balance both his enthusiasm and the level of high-quality play that we saw last season. Lost amid the Yankees’ many storylines is that Bellinger’s 2.5 percent home run rate is the lowest of his career, which should put added pressure on Chisholm to maximize Yankee Stadium’s short porch.
Chisholm and the Yankees entered play Monday at 74-56, only three games behind the Rays in the AL East. New York is on pace to be the American League’s No. 4 seed and host the rival Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.
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