Jazz Chisholm Jr. brings a different kind of jolt than Brandon Lowe, and that’s what makes the Blue Jays conversation so interesting. Chisholm’s appeal is still obvious: even in a year that fell short of expectations, he kept flashing the tools that can change a game in a hurry.
The issue, though, has been the same one hanging over his career - the slide. After posting a career-best 4.3 fWAR in 2025, Chisholm reached free agency this year coming off a clear step back, and the biggest concern for the Yankees was his offense. He was still the same high-strikeout, high-miss hitter, but he also kept drawing walks in his better stretches, paired that with elite bat speed and plenty of hard contact, and leaned harder into his speed.
That speed showed up everywhere. Chisholm set a personal best with 41 stolen bases, finished 10th in the league with +5 Baserunning Runs, and ranked second in baseball in stealing third base. Even with the offensive dip, the running game remained a real weapon.
The power, on the other hand, went the wrong direction. In 532 plate appearances - just one more than in 2025 - he dropped from 31 home runs and 80 RBIs to 19 homers and 55 RBIs.
His work with runners in scoring position cratered, producing a career-worst .589 OPS and 57 wRC+ in a single season. Across the board, the underlying numbers slid too, with his xwOBA falling from .345 to .294 and his wRC+ dipping from 125 to 98.
Even so, Chisholm still finished as a player with plenty to offer. His Batting percentile dropped from the 85th to the 22nd, but he still landed in the 96th percentile in Base Running and the 86th in Fielding. That’s why he remains in the conversation, even if Lowe had the stronger overall impact in 2026.
Lowe has his own case. He’s a left-handed power bat too, and over the last three seasons he leads all Major League second basemen with 87 home runs.
He’s also coming off the best offensive season of his career, with personal highs of 35 homers and 4.9 fWAR. Lowe is familiar to Yankees fans from his first eight big league seasons with the Rays, and he brings a proven middle-infield power profile.
Still, Chisholm offers more of the complete package if he rebounds. Over the same three-year stretch, he has 112 stolen bases, well ahead in the speed department, and that matters for a Blue Jays club that scored the fewest runs in baseball in 2026 with 648 and ranked fourth from the bottom in stolen bases with 75. Chisholm himself accounted for 54.6% of that total with his 41 steals, and if the power comes back, a second 30-30 season is not out of the question.
There’s also the defensive side. Chisholm is the more complete second baseman, with better range and a steadier track record than Lowe, who would still need to show that his defensive gains at second base can carry into 2027.
In Other News...
Anthony Santander Put The Blue Jays In A Spot They Had To Address
Anthony Santanders off-field misstep quickly became a Blue Jays issue this week, after the outfielder posted and then deleted anti-Muslim content on his Instagram account. The reaction was immediate, with fans and baseball officials criticizing the posts and Toronto moving to separate itself from the comments as the story spread beyond social media.
The Blue Jays issued a statement distancing the organization from Santanders posts, and general manager Ross Atkins publicly condemned the remarks. The episode also drew attention around the league, with Dodgers special advisor Farhan Zaidi saying on a podcast that he was disappointed by Santanders actions, leaving Toronto to deal with the fallout from a situation it did not ask for but could not ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Offseason Aggression May Start With A Big Outfield Swing
The Blue Jays are heading into an offseason that figures to be shaped by urgency, and the outfield looks like one of the first places they could try to make a real splash. With Toronto aiming to improve for the 2027 season, the front office is expected to be active in free agency, and the need is easy to see after an offense that struggled last season. Any upgrade there would carry extra weight if the club has to plan for life without George Springer, whose future remains part of the conversation.
Seiya Suzuki has already surfaced as a possible fit in right field, which tells you the kind of swing Toronto may be willing to take if the right player becomes available. The Blue Jays are not just looking for depth or a minor tweak, but for impact, and that search could define how aggressive this winter becomes. If they are going to reshape the lineup and raise the ceiling of the roster, the outfield is likely where the first major move starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Could Be Eyeing A Bigger Roster Shakeup Than Expected
Following the GM Meetings, the Blue Jays have mostly stuck to the margins so far, making only minor league moves while the bigger roster questions wait in the wings. But with a potential MLB lockout looming in December, Toronto may not have the luxury of a slow build, and the front office could be pushed toward a more aggressive reshaping of the roster before the calendar turns.
That means a few familiar names are suddenly part of the conversation, including pitchers Gage Stanifer, Johnny King and Nolan Perry, along with position players Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes and Andrs Gimnez. Their recent performances have kept them on the radar, but the Blue Jays are also weighing how any pursuit of free agents might affect those decisions, leaving the picture fluid as the club tries to balance present needs with whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]