The 2025 season was Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s best as a major leaguer.
So being confined to the bench for the first eight innings of the New York Yankees‘ 3-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series did not sit right with the All-Star infielder.
Chisholm, who set single-season career highs for RBIs (80), runs scored (75) and posted his first 30-30 season a s pro, was one of three regulars, along with first baseman Ben Rice and third baseman Ryan McMahon, to sit against Red Sox left-handed ace Garrett Crochet.
The Yankees went just 4 for 25 (.160) against Crochet, and Chisholm’s replacement, Amed Rosario, was 0 for 3 before Chisholm replaced him in the top of the ninth inning.
Jazz Chisholm: ‘We Gotta Do Whatever To Win’
Chisholm stood in front of his locker to take questions from a throng of reporters, yet when the first question was asked — whether he agreed with manager Aaron Boone’s decision to start Rosario at second base against Crochet — he turned his back to the cameras and appeared to be organizing things in his stall.
“I agree we should do what we need to do to win,” Chisholm said. “We gotta do whatever we gotta do to win, right? That’s how I look at it.”
When asked if he was surprised about the decision for him not to start, Chisholm simply said “Yes.” Chisholm slashed .248/.322/.411 in 141 plate appearances with six of his 31 regular-season home runs against left-handed pitching this season.
Chisholm flew out to right field in his only at-bat, against Boston left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman, with the bases loaded in the ninth inning Tuesday.
Chisholm, who slashed .182/.250/.309 with two home runs while playing all 14 postseason games for the Yankees last year, expects to be in the New York lineup for Game 2 on Wednesday against right-hander Brayan Bello.
No team that lost Game 1 has won a best-of-3 series since the Wild Card Series became a best-of-3 in 2022, but Chisholm believes the Yankees are still in a good spot.
“I trust all my teammates. I believe in them,” Chisholm said, when asked about rallying from the 1-0 hole. “That’s what makes me believe we can come back and win, and we’re playing at home.”
Yankees ‘Didn’t Pressure’ Crochet Enough
Boone and the Yankees did not drastically alter their lineup in any way a season ago, mainly due to the fact they did not face a starter of Crochet’s caliber.
There are few starting pitchers that are capable of doing neutralizing the Yankees‘ lineup the way Crochet has all year — and forcing New York’s hand of benching Rice, Chisholm and McMahon, who combined for 61 home runs for the Yankees this season.
“We’re talking about a stud pitcher,” Boone said. “I thought Rosario had some good at-bats, [Crochet] got him on the ground though.”
Crochet only pitched from the stretch against three hitters the whole game and retired 17 in a row between Anthony Volpe’s second-inning home run and his eighth-inning single.
“He’s really good,” Boone said. “I thought we had some decent at-bats. We just weren’t able to pressure him enough and create enough traffic to put him in real trouble.”
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