Jazz Chisholm Jr. always knew he could be the type of player who could combine power and speed to have a historic season.
Now Chisholm has turned that belief into reality.
Chisholm capped his first-ever 30-30 season, and became just the third player in New York Yankees history with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same year, when he launched a seventh-inning, two-run homer in the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Chisholm joined Alfonso Soriano (2002, 2003) and Bobby Bonds (1975) as the players with the only 30-30 seasons in Yankees history. Yet, Chisholm has also missed 33 games after he sustained an oblique strain in New York’s trip to Baltimore in April.
What Did The Yankees Say About Jazz Chisholm Jr’s 30-30 Season?
Aside from learning an entirely new city, Chisholm has battled injuries and playing multiple positions over his 14-month tenure with the Yankees.
Yet, he has been remarkably consistent since donning the Yankees pinstripes last summer after they acquired him via a trade with the Miami Marlins.
“Obviously, 30-30 invokes a lot of things,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Certainly lines up with his skill set. The fact he’s done that missing a month of the season [and] not running for parts of the year [is] just a peek into what a good player he is.”
Boone has pointed out the fact Chisholm has been having the career year despite missing a month-plus. But Boone has also seen how Chisholm has improved year to year.
“I think he’s moving the needle and getting better as a player,” Boone said. “I feel like I’ve really started to see him control the [strike] zone better, which will hopefully allow him to be an on-base threat, which with his speed will only going to help him. But obviously just a very dynamic player. Been really good for us defensively at second base, but the power-speed combination, he’s a talented player.”
What Did Jazz Chisholm Say About His 30-30 Season?
Chisholm now has 41 homers and 48 stolen bases in 168 games for the Yankees, with a .816 OPS and 5.5 bWAR. Those numbers affirmed Chisholm’s belief in himself.
âI always knew I could be that guy,â Chisholm said, according to The Athletic. âI said it when I was younger, I believed I was a 40-40 player.”
Chisholm has been candid about his struggles in Miami and how much better he feels in New York. He explained why playing with the Yankees — alongside established veterans like two-time MVP Aaron Judge and former NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton — has made him a more mature person and a better player.
“I donât want to use it as an excuse, but when youâre around the energy youâre around, youâre forced to be that way â not really forced â but it just happens where you have to fight through that,” Chisholm said. “A lot of the years I got hurt just being reckless, just because I was fighting through that. Now that Iâm in a place that I could be stable every day and know that I donât have none of those things going on around me anymore, I can hang out and be all right.
“Iâm calm every game. I donât have to think about having an argument with somebody after the game or before the game, just trying to hide away from everybody. Anyone in here can call me or text me at any time.â
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