Yankees Star Wins First Silver Slugger

The Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade could go down as one of Brian Cashman's finest. With the New York Yankees, the charismatic infielder has reached levels to his development as a player that the Miami Marlins had dreamed of when they initially acquired him for Zac Gallen. His combination of power and speed is a big reason why Chisholm won his first Silver Slugger award at second base.

30-30 Club

For his 2025 campaign, Chisholm hit .242/.332/.481 with a 126 wRC+ and accumulated 4.4 WAR, according to Fangraphs. He hit 31 home runs and had 31 stolen bases.

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates with teammates in the clubhouse after defeating the Boston Red Sox in game three of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The list of Yankees to win the Silver Slugger at the position is a small one. He joins DJ LeMahieu, Robinson Cano, Alfonso Soriano, and former captain Willie Randolph.

The list of Yankees who have reached the 30-30 mark is even smaller. Bobby Bonds did it in 1975. It wasn't until Alfonso Soriano that a Yankee achieved that again. He achieved this feat in back-to-back years, 2002 and 2003.

The Yankees Elevated Chisholm's Game

In September, Chisholm credited playing for the Yankees as the reason why he elevated his game. According to Chisholm, the organization has a "winning atmosphere," and it rubbed off on him.

"I feel like it's boosted my career, 100%, in different ways," Chisholm said, according to Bryan Hoch. "The winning mentality, the winning atmosphere, the way everybody in the front office to the training staff wants to win. This is how I felt like I grew up playing baseball, and what I needed to be around to be even more successful."

Chisholm Compared to Other Second Basemen in Baseball

This season, Chisholm split his time between second and third base, which makes winning the award at the position that much more remarkable. He played 99 games at second base this year. Not counting those games at third, as a second baseman, he posted a 3.1 WAR, which is the highest by any player at that position. Second to him in WAR is Gleyber Torres. Torres played 135 games there and had a 2.6 WAR.

Sep 10, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) hits an RBI ground out during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

His 23 home runs in those 99 games at second are second in the American League. The only player who hit more is Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays. He had 25 homers.

Very few are better second basemen in this league than Chisholm. Most would agree that Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks is the better player. Nico Hoerner is right there with them, but Chisholm's bat has more pop. Hoerner's 4.6 WAR is primarily due to his defense and his ability to steal bases.

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