Jazz Chisholm Jr. Donned Slump Busting Pants but another Cold Spell Could Push Yankees to Their Breaking Point

Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave credit to his baggy pants for his big night, and the New York Yankees are hoping that's finally the answer to crack his cold spell.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) reacts after scoring a run during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The last time it felt like Jazz Chisholm Jr. was going to break out was at Fenway Park. He hit his first homer of the season, and the New York Yankees were hopeful that that was the moment their dynamic second baseman was finally going to turn it around. It just wasn't to be, and coming into the first game against the Mets, he had a 74 wRC+ — a far cry from 2025's stellar production.

Against the Mets, Chisholm had what looked like another breakout night. The Yankees are just hoping it's for real this time.

Chisholm went 3-for-4. Two of those hits were against the dynamic Clay Holmes, who has emerged as not just a staff ace for the Mets, but, before going down with an unfortunate fibula fracture, an NL Cy Young hopeful.

Ya like Jazz? pic.twitter.com/eL8rbMCzOT

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 16, 2026

The biggest hit against Holmes came with runners on second and third and two outs in the third. Chisholm ripped a double down the line. Both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger scored.

The pitch that Chisholm slashed was Holmes' patented sinker, which brought him his biggest success when he broke out with the Yankees several years ago. That sinker is paying dividends for the organization once again and hopefully the reason another player breaks out.

The baggy pants

The one thing Chisholm credits for his big night was the baggy pants he wore. It was apparently Giancarlo Stanton's. Chisholm has now made them his own.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is trying on everyone's wardrobe 😂

After wearing Trent Grisham's pants during games earlier in the season, he wore Giancarlo Stanton's in tonight's Subway Series opener 🚊 pic.twitter.com/y1kvYBHAGB

— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2026

"It's something about the baggy pants," Chisholm said, according to the New York Post's Greg Joyce.

"Still a G," he went on to say. "It works out."

Jazz Chisholm Jr. says he wore Giancarlo Stanton's pants today:

"Still a G. It works out" 😂 pic.twitter.com/furQWGYKuk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 16, 2026

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Both the Yankees and Chisholm are wishing those pants have a few more hits in them. He now sits at an 83 wRC+, an improvement from where he was before the night began, but he still has a long way to go to get where he wants to be.

Chisholm is hitting .217/.295/.344 on the year with four homers in 176 plate appearances. His .7 WAR, according to FanGraphs, is likely due to his base running and defense. He has been great in both categories, but considering he was a 30/30 guy last year, the Yankees need a little more than that.

If this was another one-hit-wonder kind of night for Chisholm, and he falls back down to earth, expect those WFAN callers to get loud about replacing him with someone like Luis Arraez. Arraez, the prolific singles hitter who is next to impossible to strikeout, is having another one of those plucky seasons at the plate.

On top of that, he has emerged as one of the best defensive second basemen as well. He has a 9 OAA, according to Baseball Savant. If the Yankees offload Chisholm and make a move for Arraez, the transition should be seamless defensively.

Granted, Arraez has a lower ceiling than Chisholm. He has virtually no power, but if Chisholm continues to struggle, does that matter? The Yankees can put the second baseman in the middle or bottom of the order and get 100th percentile whiff and strikeout rates from a section of their lineup that is a black hole.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) reacts after hitting a double in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It would just be a shame if the Yankees had to use prospects to offset Chisholm's lack of production. If they are going to unload some of that minor league depth, it should be to bolster the bullpen. It's hard to blame Brian Cashman if he makes such a move, though. Chisholm may need a few more pairs of baggy pants to quell those WFAN callers for now.