With a sincere statement on Jazz Chisholm Jr. and his struggles during the 2026 MLB season, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone may have revealed a lot more than what’s on the surface about the 28-year-old second baseman’s future.
“I don’t know [why it’s been a struggle for Chisholm Jr. this year]. Missing his pitch a fair amount. You have got to make hay when you get your pitches,” Boone said about Chisholm Jr., via SNY. “He’s making fairly good swing decisions, he’s not chasing, and there’s some patience in there. He just hasn’t gone on that hot streak really at any point [this season].“
Although the past few days have actually been encouraging for the Yankees, with Boone revealing important progress on Aaron Judge’s return and another injured player, Cody Bellinger, proving New York’s timeline wrong, Chisholm Jr. hasn’t jumped on the positive news train.
Instead, Chisholm Jr. has been arguably the most disappointing player on the Yankees throughout the 2026 MLB season. Fans often thought his slow start was just that, but as New York went deeper into the year, the 28-year-old never really found his footing—and still hasn’t.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees.
Chisholm Jr. can’t afford such struggles
For a player on an expiring contract who is making $10.2 million in 2026, it may be inexcusable. Boone didn’t go as far as to say it, but he did hint at his disappointment with the way Chisholm Jr.’s contract year has gone.
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Once the season comes to an end, Chisholm Jr. will become an unrestricted free agent in Major League Baseball. The pressure is definitely on him now. Barring a sensational late stretch and a come-to-life performance in the postseason, the second baseman will miss out on a lot of money on his next contract.
Many fans in the Bronx even went as far as to ask Brian Cashman and the Yankees to trade Jazz at the deadline. That didn’t happen, and New York will stick with Chisholm Jr. through the 2026 campaign.
However, the odds of him being back with the Pinstripers in 2027 are slim and only grow slimmer with every head-scratching at-bat. If he is back, it will be on a contract far different from the current one-year, $10.2 million deal he signed after barely avoiding arbitration.
Chisholm Jr.’s numbers
Chisholm Jr. has had a contract season to forget. His numbers are only better than those from his rookie campaign, in which he played just 21 games. Without a shadow of a doubt, this has been the worst season of his MLB career. Through 112 appearances, Jazz is batting .216 with a .296 on-base percentage, a .391 slugging percentage, a .687 OPS, and a measly 0.8 WAR.
