Two Yankees rank top 10 in the American League in OPS during June — Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm — after recording just seven extra-base hits in April and missing all of May with a right oblique strain — is batting .318 with a .979 OPS in June. The former Marlin, who was dealt to New York at last year’s trade deadline, is making a strong case to hold third base over the remainder of the season.
“His game is so electric, and he can change the game and affect the game in so many different ways in a dynamic fashion,” manager Aaron Boone said. “When he’s playing at a high level, I think it does energize everyone.”
Chisholm’s resurgence has correlated with a new approach since returning from the injured list. The 27-year-old said he’s trying to play at 70%, focusing on not overswinging and staying consistent with his strides.
He did exactly that during the second inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Athletics. Chisholm Jr. used a compact swing to pull a fastball that stayed near the middle of the strike zone for his sixth home run of June.
“Just a solid fastball, try to get to it and just put a 70% swing,” Chisholm Jr. said. “[I] put some backspin on it and it got out.”
Chisholm Jr. boasts 11 home runs at Yankee Stadium, but only two on the road. The 2022 NL All-Star is hitting .310 in the Bronx and only .143 on the road. Considering he’s batted about 20 points worse on the road for his career, this stark difference seems likely to somewhat even out.
The Bahamas native also recorded his first triple of the season in the 12-5 win over the Athletics. Chisholm Jr. blasted a changeup into the right-center gap to extend New York’s early lead before scoring on a wild pitch.
The lefty also ranks second on the Yankees with 10 steals, despite missing 30 games. He swiped 40 bases last year and is among the few players on one of the older teams in baseball who can consistently cause havoc on the basepaths.
Chisholm added multiple strong plays on the other side of the field. He turned a 5-5-3 double play to end a scoring threat in the third inning and lunged into the screen to catch a foul ball in the eighth inning.
He is still statistically subpar at third base with a -3 outs above average, but seems to be becoming more comfortable there after primarily playing second base across his first five seasons.
“I do like throwing the ball hard sometimes,” Chisholm Jr. said. “Second base, you don’t really get to throw it as hard.”
While Chisholm could still play at second base, another problematic position for New York this year, it seems likely that he’s taken over the hot corner with his recent stretch of success. He’s hitting .321 when starting at third base, compared to just .181 when playing at second.
But no matter where Chisholm Jr. plays, his combination of speed and power makes him one of the Yankees’ most dynamic players. If he can continue his ascension throughout his first full season in pinstripes, it could be a leading factor in another deep postseason run for New York.
“He’s a gamechanger,” Judge said.
