Jazz Chisholm Jr. Has No One to Blame but Himself for Potential Yankees 2B Competition

At this point in the season, it's hard to say that the New York Yankees have second base figured out if Jazz Chisholm Jr. doesn't turn it around.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) tosses his bat after drawing a bases loaded walk to drive in a run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's no doubt that Jazz Chisholm Jr. has a sky-high ceiling. The New York Yankees have seen it at times this year, and last season, he was one of the few in the team's history to have a 30/30 season.

Unfortunately, the version of Chisholm the Yankees got this year is night and day compared to what he did last season. He had an OPS north of .800, and it feels like a tall mountain to climb for him to crawl to even a .700 this season. The 17 home runs and 31 stolen bases are great, and he has had his moments, but outside of being one of the better defensive second basemen in the league, Chisholm does little else between his homers.

Chisholm had a moment in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday afternoon when Luis Garcia Jr. doubled to start the inning. He ended up striking out on five pitches. Chisholm watched Logan Gilbert pepper the strike zone with a changeup and slider, which he left down the heart of the plate just before whiffing. They can live with the strikeouts when he's putting up electric numbers. Things are a little different for him now.

The issue when things are going poorly is that a 7th percentile 31.4% strikeout rate is just plain ugly when a player isn't contributing much at the plate. That's the place where Chisholm is now. He had an 8th-percentile 27.9% strikeout rate in 2025, but he was also a key cog in the Yankees' lineup, so it's a more forgiving situation when the player is producing.

Today’s was Jazz Chisholm’s third strikeout hat trick in last 15 games, which includes one Golden Sombrero.

Chisholm has struck out in every game but one since July 25.

In the one game he didn’t strike out in, he went 0-for-4.

He has struck out in every game but one in August.

— Neil Keefe (@NeilKeefe) August 13, 2026

Playing the better bat before October

This is why, as they get closer to the postseason and guys like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton return, the conversation about what the Yankees should do with Luis Garcia Jr. should shift into how the Yankees can fit him in the lineup. Seeing as he has played second base before, the answer is simple. If Chisholm doesn't start hitting, then the job should go to Garcia.

Garcia's defense has been a mixed bag at second. Garcia had -7 Outs Above Average at second base in 2025, but in 2024, he was a positive defender, posting a 5 OAA.

The thing about second base, though, is that a team can live with some poor defense as long as the player can hit, and that's exactly what Garcia does. In 33 plate appearances with the Yankees, Garcia is slashing.258/.303/.452. He has three doubles and a homer. He doesn't walk much, but he's also only had three strikeouts in his tenure in New York thus far.

New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) could be a factor at second base if Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s play doesn't improve. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anthony Volpe is another name the Yankees could look to. It's a name most would like to be over with by now, but the organization is having him play some second base in the minors. That could be either for emergency use in case Chisholm gets hurt, or to signal that they are preparing alternative options if he doesn't turn it around.

At this point, the player the Yankees are getting could be who Chisholm will be for the rest of the season. They can probably start preparing for what life will be like without him now. It doesn't seem like they would extend him a qualifying offer after a season like this.

Garcia should get some reps at second to prepare him for when Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton start coming off the IL. For a team struggling to score runs, they can ill afford to keep one of the better bats acquired at the deadline on the bench come the postseason.

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