Feel free to check my math, but June 3rd, 2025, was exactly three months ago. Also, three months is essentially half of a baseball season – i.e., not an insignificant sample size.
June 3rd is also when Jazz Chisolm Jr. returned to the Yankees lineup after a five-week stint on the IL. Since then, Jazz has been one of the best players in MLB – no, that’s not an exaggeration.
To wit; Over the past three calendar months, only the scalding hot Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Kurtz, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto have produced more fWAR than Jazz’ 3.5. That 3.5 is also the best among second basemen over that half season stretch and bests anyone on the Yankees, with Aaron Judge (3.0) and Cody Bellinger (2.9) being the next closest.
Of course, Jazz has partially done it by being a force on the bases – 94th percentile baserunning runs above average, and 20 stolen bases with an 87% success rate over the three-month span – and better than average defense at second base, as his 2.7 DRAA made him the second-best Yankees defender after Austin Wells since June 3rd.
But Jazz is really creating value by smashing baseballs.
Since his IL return, Jazz’ 148 wRC+ is the 11th best among 158 qualified hitters, with only Aaron Judge better among Yankees. He also has a higher wRC+ than Kyle Schwarber (Schwarber has 30 bombs over that span) and a higher SLG than Cal Raleigh.
Even with missing five weeks on the IL he’s going to end up in some very good Yankee company with his 2025 season totals. Jazz is on pace for 5 bWAR – Willie Randolph, Alfonso Soriano, and Robinson Cano are the only Yankees second basemen to do that since divisional play – and he’s on pace for a 30 HR/30 SB season. If you’re curious, Soriano and Bobby Bonds are the only members of the Yankees 30/30 club.
Judge is going to Judge, and Bellinger, Grisham and Stanton have been great obviously – but none of them have been as important as Jazz for a plurality of the season.
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments, or yell at me on the “My Baseball Page” on Blue Sky.
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