Jazz Chisholm Jr. picked a timely moment to heat up, but the Yankees’ questions about him haven’t gone away.
He homered to beat the Dodgers on Sunday, then went deep twice Monday and drove in five runs in a win over the Pirates. That’s three homers in two nights and a five-RBI burst, the sort of run that usually changes the conversation around a player. In Chisholm’s case, it hasn’t been enough to settle anything.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, the Yankees are still in the market for a middle infielder, and that search has put Chisholm’s second-base job under a brighter spotlight. One team insider has even pushed the idea that his playing time should be reduced now, trade or no trade.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Yankees are looking for help in the middle infield. The most obvious upgrade would be at shortstop over Anthony Volpe, but Sherman also noted that Chisholm may not be fully protected if the right move comes along.
Washington shortstop CJ Abrams has become the name drawing the most attention. He’s having one of his best seasons, and if the Yankees were to land a player of that caliber, it could trigger a reshuffling that sends Chisholm into a different role or, in a more aggressive scenario, out the door entirely in the right deal.
Chisholm’s uneven season has helped fuel the uncertainty. He has already missed time because of concussion protocol after an outfield collision and later because of toe discomfort, and he’s also gone through long stretches where the bat went quiet.
The Yankees have publicly stressed catcher and bullpen upgrades, both of which are real needs. Still, the middle-infield discussion has only grown louder, and Chisholm’s health and inconsistency have kept him right in the middle of it.
There’s also a broader infield puzzle to solve. Volpe has his own injury history, Jose Caballero has filled in well, and top prospect George Lombard Jr. is coming, though he may not be ready for an everyday role in a pennant race. Any major addition would force the Yankees to sort out who goes where, and Chisholm is one of the most movable pieces in that equation.
The sharpest criticism has come from The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, who argued the Yankees should start trimming Chisholm’s work against left-handed pitching.
“Jazz Chisholm Jr. has just a 74 wRC+ versus lefties this year, the third worst among Yankees regulars (Ryan McMahon, 57 wRC+; Austin Wells, 8 wRC+) and the worst among Yankees regulars who don’t have a platoon partner,” Kuty wrote. “It might be time to give Chisholm’s plate appearances versus lefties to someone else. The Yankees have options.”
Kuty pointed to two possible answers already in the organization.
“They seem to like Schuemann, who has a 158 wRC+ in 32 plate appearances versus southpaws,” Kuty wrote. “They could also platoon Chisholm with Jose Caballero, who’s a good defender at second base and has a career 109 wRC+ versus lefties.”
Those options come with their own issues. Caballero’s numbers against lefties have dropped to an 82 wRC+ this year, and the Yankees don’t seem eager to shift Volpe off shortstop, even though he has worked out at second base in recent games. Kuty also noted that a call-up of Lombard would likely still be too early.
Then there’s the contract-year wrinkle. Chisholm is 28, and a move into a platoon role would not exactly help his free-agent case.
“The 28-year-old is in a contract year, and it would be a rough look for him going into free agency, and he knows that,” Kuty wrote. “Plus, Chisholm has pride, as he should, and it was just last season that he was plenty productive versus lefties.”
A year ago, Chisholm posted a 106 wRC+ against left-handers, so this isn’t some ancient flaw. The issue now is whether the Yankees think he’s running out of time to prove he can do it again.
“The talent is there to hit lefties, but the Yankees would be fair to ask whether he’s run out of time to prove it,” Kuty wrote.
Chisholm himself didn’t sugarcoat where things stand after the Dodgers win.
“I’ve sucked all season,” Chisholm said. “The numbers speak for themselves.”
His recent surge has pushed his line to .228 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs, but that still doesn’t match the standard he set in a 30-30 season last year. The power has shown up. The lefty problem hasn’t gone away.
For now, the Yankees do not appear ready to bench him or hand his at-bats to Volpe or anyone else. At 56-44 and still chasing in the AL East, they have a middle-infield decision to make, and the way they handle it could determine whether Chisholm’s hot streak buys him time or only delays a tougher call.
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