The Yankees opened the 2025 season by lighting fireworks every night, launching homers like it was the Home Run Derby. But lately, the explosive offense that steamrolled Milwaukee has hit a lull.
Tuesday’s shutout loss to the Detroit Tigers and a quiet two-run outing the night before brought the Bombers back down to earth, pushing their record to 6–5 and revealing some brewing concerns—particularly with the bats.
Jazz Chisholm’s Sudden Slide
At the heart of that slowdown is second baseman Jazz Chisholm. Just a few games ago, Chisholm was one of the hottest players on the roster, swinging with confidence and making noise in nearly every at-bat.
Now? He’s cooled off considerably.
Through the first 11 games, Chisholm has hit four homers with nine RBIs and a slugging percentage of .500, but his overall line has dipped dramatically. His batting average now sits at .196, and he’s reaching base less than 30% of the time. The power is still propping him up, but it’s becoming harder to overlook the other red flags.
That 38% strikeout rate is one of them. So is the 4% walk rate, which is half of what he posted last season. Over the past couple of games, Chisholm hasn’t even been making solid contact, failing to register a hit and looking off-balance against fastballs and breaking pitches alike.
This is the Chisholm experience in a nutshell: stretches of brilliance that can carry an offense, followed by cold spells that put him on ice for a few days at a time. It’s not uncommon for players with aggressive approaches to have these kinds of streaks, but the Yankees need him to get hot again quickly.
Defense Is Still His Calling Card
If there’s one area where Chisholm remains a steady force, it’s with the glove. Defensively, he’s been excellent at second base, flashing a .978 fielding percentage across nearly 100 innings. He’s also racked up four defensive runs saved and one out above average—numbers that already dwarf what the Yankees were getting from Gleyber Torres.
But while defense is crucial, it’s Chisholm’s left-handed power and speed that were supposed to help anchor this lineup. With the pitching staff stretched thin and injuries piling up in the rotation, the Yankees can’t afford to let the bats go cold for long.
Chisholm has the talent to bounce back in a big way—it’s just a matter of when.