As of Saturday morning, the Yankees were the only team in the American League East that had not made a trade ahead of the Tuesday deadline. However, General Manager Brian Cashman finally made a move in the afternoon, acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins.
A Spark of Energy for the Yankees
The Marlins are in full sell mode, and Chisholm offers the Yankees the spark and electrifying style of play they desperately need, given their recent lack of energy. Jazz is an intriguing player who comes with a few concerns but also plenty of upside. He has played 101 games this year, but in his first four seasons in the MLB, he played a maximum of 124 games and only surpassed 100 games once.
This season, Chisholm is hitting .249/.323/.407, including 13 homers, 50 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. His ranking in the 99th percentile in base running value should provide the Bombers with significant value. They are one of the worst teams on the base paths due to their lack of athleticism, but Chisholm brings speed and aggression.
Analyzing Chisholm’s Performance
He maintains a 24.9% strikeout rate, a 9.1% walk rate, and a 104 wRC+. Although he has hovered around an average hitter over the past few seasons, the Yankees should be able to build on his strengths. Chisholm has seen an increase in pitches swung at in the strike zone, a positive development. He makes contact 80.8% of the time with pitches in the zone, and with a 10.7° launch angle, he should be able to elevate the ball to right field at Yankee Stadium.
The left-handed batter has a 49.1% ground ball rate, which is a career-high, but this number may decrease during the second half of the season. He ranks in the 74th percentile in barrel percentage but does exhibit some swing-and-miss issues.
Chisholm’s Strategic Fit
Most importantly, Chisholm pulls the ball, and if the Yankees decide to lead him off, he will be a fantastic option ahead of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. This positioning means opposing pitchers will have to attack Jazz, opening up plenty of opportunities. He has 265 appearances this season, batting leadoff, hitting .244/.317/.408. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting an impressive .330/.434/.568.
The underlying metrics and upside here are extremely attractive, especially since Chisholm is under contract until 2027, giving the Yankees two more years of control. They traded Agustin Ramirez and another two prospects for him, but it will likely be well worth the move, especially with catcher Austin Wells putting together a good rookie season.
- Yankees’ young utility man has carved out a critical role
- Yankees star slugger still has an outside chance at 60 home runs
- The Yankees hope this excellent reliever can stay red-hot for October
Potential Defensive Adjustments
Jazz has experience in the outfield and at second base. He’s played under 815 innings in center this season, posting a .991 fielding percentage with -5 defensive runs and one out above average. He’s a solid defender at second, so the Yankees could consider moving Gleyber Torres, although that remains undecided. Alternatively, they could place Jazz in center field and move Aaron Judge to left, which would transition Alex Verdugo to a backup role.
Overall, this is a major move for the Yankees, and it should significantly benefit them in multiple areas, particularly at leadoff and with runners on base.