The New York Yankees held their breath on Thursday night when Jazz Chisholm Jr. was removed with a knee injury.
Thankfully for the Yankees, the star infielder calmed concerns quickly, insisting his knees were fine and he might return Friday.
Chisholm’s update was a sigh of relief for a team fighting tooth and nail for postseason positioning down the stretch.
The Yankees cannot afford to lose Chisholm right now, given how locked in he’s been at the plate lately.
Across 108 games this season, the 27-year-old is hitting .242/.339/.499 with a career-high 28 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Even more impressive, Chisholm has refined his plate discipline, posting a career-best 12 percent walk rate in 2025.
That patience has fueled a 132 wRC+, meaning he’s been 32 percent better than the average hitter in baseball.
Beyond the counting stats, Chisholm’s 4.1 WAR is the highest of his career, underscoring his total impact on the Yankees.
He has elevated himself from a streaky slugger into a well-rounded star, producing both power and consistency at the plate.
It’s the type of leap that transforms a good player into a cornerstone, especially for a team eyeing another World Series run.
For the Yankees, losing him now would’ve been like taking the engine out of a car mid-race.
Chisholm’s bat has drawn plenty of attention, but his defense at second base has been equally valuable this season.
Over 677 innings, he holds a .975 fielding percentage, three defensive runs saved, and five outs above average.
Those numbers may not jump off the page, but compared to Gleyber Torres’ glove, Chisholm’s steadiness has been transformative.
He’s provided the kind of reliability in the infield that the Yankees have long lacked in recent seasons.
The Yankees hoped pairing Chisholm with Anthony Volpe would create an elite middle infield, but Volpe has stumbled defensively.
Instead of anchoring shortstop, Volpe has regressed into one of the worst defensive players at the position this year.
That reality makes Chisholm’s steady defense even more essential, giving the Yankees at least one dependable piece up the middle.
Without his contributions, the infield could unravel quickly at the most critical point of the season.
The Yankees are entering the most important stretch of their season, with Toronto and Boston looming on the schedule.
Having Chisholm available and producing is vital if they want to keep pace with the Blue Jays, who hold a three-game lead.
His power, discipline, and defensive stability make him one of the most indispensable players on the roster right now.
If the Yankees want another shot at a World Series, they’ll need Chisholm upright and swinging without hesitation.
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