Jazz, as in pizazz, turns out to be exactly the right guy. Jazz Chisholm Jr. brings style, energy and athleticism to a conventional, veteran-heavy Yankees clubhouse, not to mention a necessary offensive jolt to a lineup that was degenerating into an overburdened two-man crew.
Brian Cashman and Co.’s deadline assignment was no easy task: In a deep sellers market, they simply had to acquire an infielder who hits, an asset in especially short supply among nine teams terrible enough to surrender in a set-up where mediocrity contends. Chisholm wasn’t the most obvious one, either, as he was manning center field in Miami when the call came.
The Yankees needed imagination, or at least solid sources. Chisholm was telling friends he wanted to go back on the dirt. And if you knew him one bit — and like many a New Yorker, the Yankees have deep ties to South Florida — you knew he’d love it here.
Jazz is perfect. By all accounts and that perpetual smile, he loves the attention, the notoriety and the fans — yes, the very things missing in Miami.
“He likes the lights,” Yankees great Don Mattingly, his longtime Marlins manager and now a Jays coach, told The Post. “He’s fearless.”
Jazz was the right guy because he was practically the only guy to get.
The Yankees sent highly regarded catching prospect Agustin Ramirez and two other kids away for Chisholm (Yankees people love Ramirez’s bat, but weren’t certain he has a position). But before they did that (and in a couple cases after, too), they checked on four other infielders. Unfortunately, the Angels love Luis Rengifo, the Reds love Jonathan India more and the Rays likely didn’t relish trading Isaac Paredes or Yandy Diaz in division. Of that quartet, only Paredes, a uniformly pull hitter who didn’t fit Yankee Stadium — all 67 of his Rays homers went to left field — was traded. And he’s no Jazz.
Chisholm, just 26, is the guy. The shortstop-second baseman-center fielder is embracing third base here, and what’s more, he’s playing it magnificently. Although he’d never before performed there, he said he imagined himself as “a little [Manny] Machado” or a “little A-Rod.” So it’s no coincidence he’s wearing Alex Rodriguez’s old No. 13 here.
The Yankees checked on Chisholm with their hitting coach (and former Marlins bench coach) James Rowson, plus Yankees icons Mattingly and former Marlins honcho Derek Jeter. I did my own due diligence and came up with almost all praise.
“Jazz works. He just needs someone to make him run balls out and make smart decisions on the bases,” my own Jazzophile from Florida said. “Jazz is flashy. Sometimes people take flashy as not working — not true here.”
Jazz is the right guy because they needed the bat, and he swings lefthanded. Two “good hitters,” in Yankee-turned-Met Luis Severino’s famous words, can’t cut it forever. And now, just a week into Chisholm’s pinstriped tenure, thanks to his 1.064 OPS after two two-homer games, plus a return to form by multiple holdover starters, the Yankees have emerged from their six-week slide and are already back atop MLB’s offensive stat sheet with 5.16 runs per game.
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto can no longer feel alone in the lineup.
Suddenly now, Anthony Volpe found his power stroke (five of his 11 homers came in the last 12 games.) Austin Wells is thriving as the surprise cleanup man (his OPS is .964 since the break.) And Gleyber Torres is responding to his overdue wakeup call.
Meantime, Jazz fits perfectly. When you saw him in Miami, you’d see the flash, the bling and you’d hear about the feud with Marlins veteran Miguel Rojas, who staged a typical new school vs. even newer school standoff over apparel and attitude.
A couple Marlins people say some vets treated him like a rookie, and he resisted. Mattingly only says both sides had good intentions, but everyone agrees it didn’t work. Chisholm eventually announced on “The Pivot” podcast that he was brought “down” by a de facto captain (presumably Rojas) who “sucked.” That won’t happen with the Yankees, whose captain is the great Judge, who definitely doesn’t suck.
Jazz is the right guy because he comes with a great outlook. He understands his place and didn’t dispute that his turn as 2023 cover guy of “MLB: The Show” (not to be confused with The Post podcast of the same name) came a bit early. Past MVPs Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani and Judge are more typical choices. Greatness may arrive, but it’s still on the horizon.
“We all think I have the potential to be MVP, especially with the game and skillset I have. Hopefully, I can get consistent enough to earn that title,” Chisholm said, maturely.
Now that he’s moved 1,200 miles north into the glare of the spotlight, his chances improve. He said he liked Miami (what’s not to like?), but he surely considers this a lucky stroke. The crowds are bigger, the tradition richer and the urgency palpable. It’s all up his alley.
“I’m loving it here,” Chisholm said.
Believe me, Jazz, they are loving you here.
