How Great Has Jazz Chisholm Jr. Been With the Yankees?

It can't be understated how good Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been since joining the New York Yankees.

Ironically, that's what many fans are doing when praising the exciting 26-year-old; even though Chisholm's offensive production has spiked exponentially, there's been more to him that meets the eye. In fact, he's evolving into a five-tool player.

On FanGraphs, Chisholm is currently having the best season of his young career with 3.4 wins above replacement, which is almost a full win higher than his previous best (2.5 in 2022). That total has been equally split between his time with the Miami Marlins and the Bronx Bombers, with 1.7 fWAR for each; the difference is that Chisholm has played 101 games with the Marlins, while playing in just 24 with the Yankees (he additionally was out for 10 days with an elbow injury). Accumulating that much WAR in less than 30 games is truly phenomenal.

It’s amazing how consistent Jazz has been.

He has a hit in 19 of 24 games as a Yankee, 10 of them being a multi-hit game.

He’s also 10/10 on stolen bases. Exactly what the Yankees needed. pic.twitter.com/aWh4OPTA6r
— YankeesMuse (@YankeesMuse) September 3, 2024

Before getting into Chisholm's offense, his defense deserves recognition. The overall numbers haven't been particularly impressive, as he has -2 defensive runs saved, and is worth -1 out above average with a fielding run value of zero. However, Chisholm was never used at third base at the major league level prior to joining the Yankees, which makes these numbers perfectly understandable; in fact, they look much better when using his lack of experience at the position as context. The Bahamian's sheer athleticism has allowed him to hold his own, and the more he plays third base, the more progress he'll make.

Chisholm's speed has always been one of his biggest advantages as a player, but the impact his baserunning has had on the Yankees is monumental. 10 of his 32 stolen bases this year have come in a Yankee uniform; what makes it eye-popping, though, is that Chisholm has 10 stolen base attempts in pinstripes, and has yet to be caught. His prowess for stealing bases, along with both smart and aggressive decision-making that gives him the edge in close plays, has given him a baserunning run value of three on Baseball Savant; this ranks in the 98th percentile, making him one of the very best baserunners in the league.

Finally, while everyone talks about Chisholm's offensive production and how good it's been, the underlying stats are even better. He has nine home runs in just 24 games as a Yankee; despite having the Short Porch at home, he actually has more homers on the road (six). In addition to his power, Chisholm has a hit in 19 of his 24 games, with 10 of them being multi-hit games. This cumulates in a .333/.374/.667 slash line, a .438 wOBA, and a 190 wRC+. Those are Aaron Judge and Juan Soto-type numbers.

The best part about Chisholm's incredible play is that the Yankees will have him for at least two more seasons; he won't be a free agent until 2027. Given his MVP-caliber performances in less than half a season in the Bronx, Yankee fans should be eager to see Chisholm for a full season and beyond.