Shortly after Jazz Chisholm Jr. shared his point of view on Pete Alonso’s disputed foul call, the New York Yankees infielder was asked about his recent outings and performance at the plate. As the 28-year-old goes against headwinds in the 2026 MLB campaign, he pointed to bad luck as the main reason for his struggles.
To say Chisholm Jr. came to life during the Yankees’ last outing would be an overstatement. However, he deserves some credit. Recently, manager Aaron Boone cut Chisholm Jr. some slack after a fielding error, and the infielder paid him back with signs of improvement. Asked about his troubling 2026 MLB season after the game, Jazz made something clear.
“I feel like I’ve been seeing the ball well lately. It’s just kind of unlucky, like always,” Chisholm Jr. admitted during his postgame media availability. “But you know, just out here working every day, getting runs on the board for my teammates, move guys over, and hope I swing games.”
Chisholm Jr. faces pressure as free agency looms
Chisholm Jr. knows all eyes are on him amid a deflating contract year in MLB. It wasn’t too long ago that Boone warned the pending free agent about his missed opportunities and struggles at the plate, so Chisholm Jr. understands he isn’t off the hook just yet.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees.
Even if he showed flashes during the Yankees‘ 5-3 win in Baltimore, the work is only getting started for Jazz. If he wants to flip the page, he must find more where that came from. Perhaps his latest showing in Charm City will help him find his charm again at the plate, as well as at second base, where his fielding errors have become constant head-scratchers for the Pinstripers.
Chisholm’s batting and base-running stats
Virtually every area of Chisholm Jr.’s game could use some tuning. However, his baserunning remains the stronges point. Although Jazz will likely fall short of his personal challenge to join Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 club, his stolen-base numbers still rank among the best in the American League and MLB.
So far this season, Chisholm Jr. has 33 stolen bases, second-most in the AL and third-most across both leagues. All things considered, the 30-30 club, which Jazz joined last year, would have been a more realistic target for the two-time All-Star.
However, he may not even reach the 30-home run mark this year. As it stands, Chisholm Jr. has hit 17 balls out of the park, but only four since the All-Star break. The clock is ticking, the regular season will be over soon, and Chisholm Jr.’s one-year, $10.2 million deal with the Yankees will enter its final countdown.
