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Red Sox Have to Be Thankful Yankees Benched Jazz Chisholm Jr. for Game 1

Did you know he's already homered off Payton Tolle?
Jackson Roberts|
Sep 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) watches from the dugout during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) watches from the dugout during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Boston Red SoxNew York Yankees

Put this one in the "old takes exposed" machine ahead of time, but the point has to be made.

As the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees get ready to play Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, there's a two-time All-Star not in the starting lineup. Sure, platoons and matchups are extra prominent in the postseason, but that has to register as a surprise?

The All-Star in question? Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees, who might be getting used to this treatment in the Wild Card Series. But from the Red Sox's perspective, this lineup surprise is a win on paper, and here's why.

Red Sox have seen Chisholm's impact firsthand

Chisholm
Aug 28, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) at bat against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York opted to start Anthony Volpe at second base over Chisholm against Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle. Yes, the platoons are a common reason to bench good lefty bats like Chisholm's, but there are a few reasons for pushback on this one in particular.

One, Tolle is a reverse-splits pitcher. He's allowed a .704 OPS to lefties this year and only a .624 OPS to righties. That doesn't mean Chisholm or Volpe will automatically hit him better or worse, but it's a reason to believe in your lefties against him in a vacuum.

Case in point? Tolle has allowed one home run to a Yankees batter so far in his career — and it was to none other than Jazz Chisholm Jr. himself.

Now, we could look at the other side of the coin, which is Volpe's home run against lefty ace Garrett Crochet in last year's postseason. And after that game, Chisholm pouted at his locker about not getting the start in what wound up as a 3-1 Red Sox win.

Then, we saw Chisholm make arguably the biggest individual play of the season, scoring from first base on a line drive over the first baseman's head in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2. He's an impact guy, even if he's not the hottest hitter on Planet Earth.

And we don't need to wonder if Chisholm is upset about the decision; he already told us this week he would be.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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