The New York Yankees have needed others to step up so far this season with the likes of Aaron Judge and several key players missing substantial time due to injury.
Ben Rice has done so at the plate, and Cam Schlittler has done so on the mound. However, one player who hasn’t elevated his play and production as much as anyone would have hoped is Jazz Chisholm Jr.
While the star infielder did hit a game-winning home run to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night, he was asked about his thoughts on his season to date postgame, and even Chisholm Jr. himself didn’t sugarcoat things, saying he’s sucked all year.
“It sucked. I’ve sucked all season. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves, yeah,”
The 28-year-old Chisholm Jr. has hit .224 with 14 home runs and 37 RBI while recording 26 stolen bases through 94 games played this season. He’s playing on the one-year, $10.2 million contract extension he signed with the Yankees in January to avoid arbitration and is eligible to become a UFA this winter.
It certainly hasn’t been the contract year Chisholm Jr., who had goals of hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases, was hoping for.
An extremely slow start didn’t help things whatsoever, and there have been other bumps in the road along the way, including the drama surrounding him eating a lollipop mid-game last month.
That being said, the most important part of the season is what’s still ahead, and if Chisholm Jr. can build off Sunday night’s game and continue to step up for the Yankees down the stretch and into the postseason, then his first half to forget will be just that: forgotten.
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