As Jazz Chisholm Jr. entered his postgame scrum following a win over the Orioles on June 22, he rapped along to the music playing inside the Yankees’ clubhouse.
The name of the song? “Ballin.” The artist? Prince Jazz.
That’s Chisholm’s stage name. A recording artist in his spare time, you won’t find him on Spotify just yet. But when the third baseman impacts a Yankees win, his smooth flow echoes within the bowels of Yankee Stadium.
“They play all my songs after the game when I’m the MVP,” a proud Chisholm said after going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI that day.
At this point, Chisholm’s teammates must have his lyrics memorized, as he’s been nearly unstoppable since returning from an oblique strain earlier this month. That remained the case in Sunday’s 12-5, rubber match win over the A’s, as Chisholm went 2-for-4 with four RBI, a solo homer, two runs scored and a walk while shining on defense.
“His game’s so electric,” Aaron Boone said. “He can change the game and affect the game in so many different ways in a dynamic fashion. So when he’s playing at a high level, I think it does energize everyone.”
With the Yankees’ offense rather inconsistent lately, Chisholm set the tone for a double-digit outburst when he pulled his 13th dinger of the season off Luis Severino, who struggled in his return to the Bronx, in the second inning.
He didn’t stop there, though, lining a standup triple with the bases loaded in the third. A’s center fielder Denzel Clarke deserved an error for letting the ball skip by him in front of the warning track, but Chisholm would have had extra bases either way.
The knock followed some other defensive shenanigans from the A’s, as Trent Grisham began the inning with a popup but ended up on second base after Sacramento’s second drop of the game. Aaron Judge proceeded to work a walk before Ben Rice took a hit-by-pitch off his foot to load the bases.
Chisholm then cleared them and scored on a wild pitch.
“He’s a game-changer,” Judge said after hitting a pair of two-run homers, giving himself 30 on the year. “He continues to change the game on both sides of the ball, and I’m looking forward to more of that.
“You stick him in the middle of the order, good things are going to happen. He can hit the longball when we need to or have a little excitement with that bases-clearing triple. So he’s a special player.”
Chisholm also flashed with his glove, starting a pretty 5-5-3 double play in the third before making a diving stop near the third base line during a rough sixth inning for Yankees mop-up man JT Brubaker.
Chisholm then collided against the netting near the Yankees’ tarp while catching a foul pop in the eighth.
“Jazz’s defense was better than even his day at the plate,” said Marcus Stroman, who allowed one earned run over five innings in his return from a knee injury. “He was incredible over there. A bunch of huge plays that helped me out in big spots, plays that are not normal plays.
“He’s been incredible since he’s come back from the IL doing it on both sides. He’s exciting to watch, so I’m glad he’s on my team.”
Stroman is right about Chisholm’s recent performance.
While the 27-year-old is still learning the intricacies of the hot corner, Chisholm is hitting .318 with six homers, 18 RBI and four stolen bases over 23 games since coming off the injured list. He also has three home runs in his last four games.
Chisholm recently explained that he’s been trying to play at 70% intensity, adapting a less is more approach. That came at the recommendation of assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler after Chisholm batted just .181 and admittedly chased home runs prior to his oblique strain.
“You know, 70% Jazz has been great,” Boone said with a smile. “So I really do like his patience up there. He’s doing a good job controlling the strike zone. And then he’s so dangerous. He’s got such thunder in the bat, and then his speed. He’s playing well.”
With Chisholm excelling, he frightened the Yankees and their fans before Sunday’s game came to an end, as his second-to-last at-bat left him in pain after he struck out on a check swing in the sixth inning.
Chisholm immediately pulled up in pain with his right arm hooked and retreated to the Yankees’ clubhouse. However, the team breathed a sigh of relief when he took his position in the field a few minutes later.
Chisholm, who finished the game without incident, explained that his bat slipped out of his hand and hit one of his finger bones. “It was just a little minor scare,” Chisholm said, adding that his finger felt good after the game.
Better yet – for him and the Yankees – he feels great at the plate.
“I feel like me,” Chisholm said. “I feel like I’m back in my era when I was younger, going out there and just hitting, just not worrying about stuff. Just not worrying about my swing, not worrying about striding too far.
“Everything just feels good.”