The New York Yankees have seen better days. On Friday, they opened their series against the Washington Nationals on a winning note. A lot of credit to Jazz Chisholm Jr., who came up with a clutch performance in the dramatic 5-3 comeback win.
The Yankees were behind 3-2 in the seventh inning after back-to-back home runs from Nationals sluggers Keibert Ruiz and James Wood. New York really needed an offensive boost late in the game, and Chisholm was there to answer the call.
With two outs in the ninth, Jasson Domínguez singled to keep the inning alive before Chisholm crushed a go-ahead two-run homer off former Yankee Matt Krook. Austin Wells followed with a solo homer as the Yankees sealed the game 5-3.
After his 13th blast of the season, Chisholm addressed the recent slump of the Yankees, which has seen the club lose 15 of its last 22 games since June 18. During this terrible stretch, they have lost their AL East lead to the Tampa Bay Rays as well. After coming up well in the latest game, Chisholm said:
“I just feel like we’ve got to be more together,” he said. “I feel like we’re losing ourselves and we were splitting further and further apart, and I just feel like when we’re together, we’re unstoppable. Every time we go on a crazy run, it’s because we’re always together and we’re having fun together as a team, and I feel like that’s a big part of going on the baseball field and knowing your teammates and having your teammates’ back.”
Chisholm also added that while he loves his stats, he must do what is required by the team in a given situation.
“I’m the biggest advocate of loving my own stats,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t mind rolling over to second base to move a runner over from second with no outs.”
Yankees Make Expectations Known On Jazz Chisholm Jr. After Underwhelming First Half
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was great in 2025, but this season, he has not lived up to the expectations. He started the season poorly, hitting only .202 till April. Since May 1, he has played 58 games, where he is just slightly better, hitting .232 with nine home runs and a .736 OPS.
It’s not only the stats that Chisholm is being criticized for. There have been instances where he lost himself, including the time when he got ejected for slamming the helmet and also when he played second base for an inning with a lollipop in his mouth.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is hoping to see a much better version of Chisholm following the All-Star break.
“He’s such a dynamic player, and I feel like he got off to a tough start in April,” Boone said. “Since then, (he) has been fine. But Jazz shouldn’t be fine. He’s better than that. Hopefully he’s setting himself up for a real good second half because when he gets going, he’s one of those guys that changes the game in a lot of ways and even can carry teams at times.”
In the absence of Aaron Judge, Chisholm has to come alive in the second half if the Yankees have any chance at winning the division and making it to October.
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