New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. can talk with the best of them. Entering the World Baseball Classic, Chisholm was definitive that his team, Great Britain, would surprise the field. So far, Britain has been, as most pundits expected, not up to that challenge. That includes the country's best player in Chisholm Jr.
"We're planning on shocking the world," Chisholm said before the tournament. He's since backed that up with an 0-for-9 start, which includes nine strikeouts.
What's gone wrong for Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the World Baseball Classic?
Chisholm was the most outspoken Great Britain player prior to the World Baseball Classic, and thus far he's been the most notorious failure of the WBC as a whole. Chisholm's lack of plate discipline is an issue, with the 28-year-old pressing at times and, quite clearly, trying to do too much.
Chisholm was routinely booed when he came up to bat for Great Britain against Team USA in Houston. That's to be expected, first due to the Americans' rivalry against the Brits, and second because Chisholm Jr. is a Yankee.
O'er the land of the free and the Holmes of the brave 🦅@USABaseball pic.twitter.com/L1smF7Iw0i
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 8, 2026
The collection of Chisholm lowlights have, thus far, been surprising. For a player as outspoken as Chisholm to come up this short is something we haven't seen from the Yankees star since, well, the MLB postseason.
Why is Jazz Chisholm playing for Great Britain in the WBC?
Chisholm was born in the Bahamas before he moved to the United States as a teenager. Thus, he is well within his rights to play for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. It really is that simple. As long as Chisholm was born in Great Britain or a territory represented by the Brits, then he can play on the team. For example, there is no Team Bahamas. By all accounts Chisholm was excited for the opportunity and is making the most of it.
Jazz had arguably his best season in the big leagues last season, hitting 31 home runs and swiping 31 bags.
Should Yankees fans be concerned about Jazz Chisholm Jr.?
Yankees fans don't have much reason to be concerned about Chisholm Jr. just yet. Even if he makes a fool out of himself at the World Baseball Classic – which he is, if you didn't read the first five grafs of this article – he remains a key component to their 2026 regular season. Chisholm Jr. is – at his best – one of the better second basemen in MLB and can even play third when called upon. However, he does have a history of falling short when the lights shine brightest. Look no further than his numbers in the MLB postseason.
Chisholm Jr. has a .170 career batting average in the playoffs – that's 15 hits in 88 at bats. While he's performed slightly better in the Bronx the last two Octobers, Chisholm has not helped New York get over the hump. In the Yankees 2024 World Series run, Chisholm had just 10 hits in 55 at-bats. Last season, he had four hits in 22 at-bats.
Unlike so many stars in this tournament, Chisholm Jr. doesn't have that big hit (or moment) to his name. Yet, he remains one of the most outspoken stars on the Yankees (and Great Britain's) roster. So, yes, there is cause for concern – but not right now. Perhaps Chisholm Jr. can finally get over the hump in the 2026 MLB Playoffs, which the Yankees are expected to be a part of. But until then, the questions are fair.
It's not Jazz Chisholm's fault Great Britain is bad at baseball
And now we've come full circle. I'm happy to poke fun at Chisholm Jr. all day long. Enough fans of Team USA did that for me on Saturday night, however. But I can't blame him for trying to build the hype around his team – which includes just two Great Britain-born players, I might add – before a tournament in which they were sure to be overlooked. That's called good leadership, even if he doesn't back it up with his actual play.
Great Britain is miles behind the likes of USA, Japan and the Dominican Republic (among others), which have a better baseball infrastructure than the English and its territories. It's like comparing the United States to England and other European countries every World Cup. Baseball is supposed to be our pastime, after all.
The goal of the World Baseball Classic is to make baseball a global sport. The WBC has played a large role in the reimplimantation of baseball in the Summer Olympics. As it gains importance on the international stage, more countries will devote resources to growing the game. Chisholm Jr. has a role to play there, even if he falls short in 2026.