‘I’ll always be a shortstop’: Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s dream collides with Yankees’ positional puzzle

In their quest for World Series success, the New York Yankees added Miami Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. to their roster. Originally slated to play shortstop, the Marlins moved him to center field to make room for Luis Arraez. Despite Jazz’s desire to return to shortstop, his former team recognized his agility and speed as assets suited for the outfield.

Things are likely to change, however, with his recent move to the Yankees. According to Yankees insider Bryan Hoch, the Bronx Bombers are looking to move Chisholm to third base to improve their lineup and infield defense. There are also talks about moving Gleyber Torres to another position.

Four months before his trade from the Marlins to the Yankees, Chisholm Jr. appeared in an interview on the Pivot Podcast with NFL stars Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark to talk about his baseball career. As the conversation progressed, Ryan pressed the Jazz on his favorite position, and the 26-year-old confidently said that shortstop holds a special place in his heart.

“For me, I’m a shortstop in my head. I’ll always be a shortstop.”

Yet in the same conversation, he also recalled his coach’s vision to create a winning team culture in Miami, which led to him changing positions.

Speaking of position changes, the Jazz had a lot of success as a center fielder until an unfortunate injury ended his 2022 season early. Additionally, despite a toe injury in 2023, he still played 157 games in both seasons.

“Before I got hurt last year when I played center field, I was leading the league in home runs, third in batting average, leading the league in slugging percentage and leading the league in doubles,” Jazz said.

Although the Jazz hopes to return to shortstop, his chances with his new team are slim due to the performance of SS Anthony Volpe and his position as a player in the Yankees infield. Volpe has proven himself as a cornerstone for the Yankees, so it will be a challenge for the new addition to take over.

Interestingly, Chisholm Jr. made his first appearance with the Yankees on Sunday. It was a game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, where he was assigned to the fifth batting lineup, playing center field and wearing the number 13 jersey. While the Yankees went on to win 8-2, Chisholm went 1 for 5 with a single and scored a late run in the game.

Jazz essential for New York success, says Former Yankees manager

The addition of Jazz to the New York Yankees roster has been a huge success for fans and experts alike. The newest name on that list is Buck Showalter, the former Yankees manager, praised the acquisition, calling Chisholm Jr. the “need of the hour” for the team.

During an episode of MLB Tonight, Showalter spoke highly of Chisholm Jr.’s versatility to play positions in the outfield and possibly at second base, something that offers flexibility and reliable support in case of injuries or changes in the line-up.

In addition, he also spoke about Chisholm Jr.’s playing style and his passion for baseball, that’s why he believes that the 2022 All-Stars A lively presence can strengthen team spirit and lead to better performance.

“When you get into a new situation like that, he wants to adapt right away, but he also brings a little bit of grit to them,” Buck said.

Despite the adjustments needed to adapt to the Yankees’ environment, Showalter is optimistic that Jazz’s electric energy will be a … game changing for the team’s line-up.