Since coming to the New York Yankees from the Miami Marlins, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has had some lofty expectations put on his shoulders. Now, he finally seems to be fulfilling his potential as a star infielder. After notching four RBI in Sunday’s win against the Athletics, Chisholm has hit .318 with a .979 OPS since coming off the IL on June 3.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Having Career Month in June
Up Another Level
Chisholm has by no means been below average since coming to New York during last year’s trade deadline. In fact, his 28 stolen bases since the trade lead the team. But this season, it looks like he’s finally taking that final step into stardom that the Yankees knew he could take. Even before suffering an oblique injury that caused him to miss all of May, Chisholm hit seven home runs in his first 23 games of the year. However, he did slash .181/.304/.410 through April, which prompted him to take a different approach when he stepped into the box.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. goes yard as he continues to stay hot since he returned from injury a month ago! pic.twitter.com/iYHQVRYwhc
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2025
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On June 6, Chisholm told reporters that instead of going all-out on every swing, he’s trying to swing with ~70% effort. “At 100%, I might be dog crap. When you believe in something or it feels so right, you can’t go wrong with it,” he recently said. And, based on his performance through the last couple of weeks, it looks like that “70%” approach is allowing him to play his best brand of baseball.
Solidifying the Infield
Throughout the season thus far, the Yankees’ lineup has been carried mostly by outfielders; even without Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez are all producing solid numbers at the plate. The infield? Not so much; Paul Goldschmidt started the year hitting over .350 for over a month, but has since come back down to earth. Anthony Volpe has a lot of RBI, but far too many strikeouts and a very low OBP. As for the rest of the Yankees’ infielders, none of them are starting-caliber hitters.
That is why Chisholm’s offensive production is so vital to New York’s offense. Without him, the Yankees would have very little production out of their infield, which is obviously not a recipe for success. On top of playing spectacular defense at third, Chisholm is becoming the de facto leader (and most productive) of the Yankees’ infielders.
All That Jazz
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— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 1, 2025
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Problem Solving
After switching to third base last season for the first time, Chisholm went back to his natural spot at second base at the start of 2025. However, with Oswaldo Cabrera out for the season after breaking his ankle, the vacancy at third reopened, prompting the Yankees to switch him back to third once he returned from the injured list.
Though going back to third meant leaving second open to DJ LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza, it also may be a strategic move for the Yankees later on in the season. It has been rumored that they are aiming to acquire a right-handed hitting infielder before the trade deadline. With a thin market in terms of third basemen, New York could instead look for a second baseman and have a much better chance of trading for a good bat to help them reach the postseason.
The Last Word on Jazz Chisholm Jr.
But for now, the Yankees must be very happy to see Jazz Chisholm Jr. playing the best baseball of his life. And, at just 27 years old, he might have even more superstar potential to tap into.
Main Photo Credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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