New York Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. dives into home plate to score on a hit by Austin Wells against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
On Monday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. received a text message from Aaron Boone saying he would not be in the lineup against Garrett Crochet simply because of a better matchup against the left-hander where numbers showed he is 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in those at-bats.
After the Yankees were dominated by Crochet in the opener of the wild-card series, Chisholm did not appear thrilled.
Normally loquacious and colorful with his comments and someone who joked about dreaming going 3-for-3 in his return from the injured list in June, Chisholm stood at his locker with his back turned to a large group of media, grudgingly spoke in clipped tones while fiddling with the clothes on his hanger.
About 24 hours later, Chisholm was on the big stage of the interview room at Yankee Stadium because his imprints were all over a fantastic playoff game with the Red Sox that kept the Yankees from being eliminated.
In the late innings, Chisholm made two massive plays and as he explained them, the latest member of the 30-30 club detailed how he got over not starting a playoff game.
“I played MLB The Show and I mercy-ruled someone,” said Chisholm, who was on the cover of the 2023 version of the popular game. That’s how I get my stress off. It’s true.”
Chisholm said he played the game until about 3 am on a team with ringers like Ken Griffey Jr. and while using a video game version of himself, each of his three hits were homers.
Chisholm was talking shop about one of the more popular video games because of those plays but also was emphasizing things were fine with him and Boone while his body language added to the discourse of Game 1.
“There was never a problem between me and Aaron Boone,” Chisholm said. “I’ve stood behind him all year. We always have disagreements. I mean, I played third base this year, we had a little bit of disagreement with that. But at the end of the day, I always stand with Boonie, because he always understands where I come from. He knows I’m a passionate player. I wear my feelings on my sleeve and he knows that I’m there to compete.”
In the seventh inning, Fernando Cruz gave up a ground ball to pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida that stayed an infield single. Chisholm was unable to get the out but prevented a run from scoring by keeping the ball from heading to the outfield with a diving stop his left before the ball could touch center field and become an easy run, though when the ball slightly trickled by Ben Rice, Nate Eaton stayed at third.
“It’s a 3-2 count, the runners are moving,” Chisholm said. “You see a ground ball, you got to stop it. You have to keep it in the infield.”
“That’s a unbelievable play,” said Rice, who homered on the first pitch he saw but also was unable to knock down Chisholm’s throw. “That’s what you are going to get from him.”
In the eighth, Chisholm was able to work out a walk on the seventh pitch by laying off an inside sinker from Garrett Whitlock. Seven pitches later, Austin Wells hit a single down the right field line that just stayed fair and Chisholm was off and running the 270 feet.
As he sped towards third base, his helmet flew off. He made a wide turn around third base and finished off his 9.16 second sprint from first by executing an electrifying headfirst slide just ahead of the relay throw.
New York Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. rounds third base on his way home to score on a base hit by Austin Wells against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning of Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
“What do you expect? He’s a game-changer,” Aaron Judge said. “It just shows you the maturity of not taking what happened the day before and bringing it into today’s game. He showed up ready to play today and ended up having the biggest plays for us.”
“He’s a special player. He’s one of the best players in the game. Exciting. One of the best athletes I’ve ever seen,” Cruz said with an excited tone that was similar to his reaction after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and keeping the game tied thanks to Chisholm’s defense “I knew he was scoring no matter what.”
And unlike the early morning hours of Wednesday, Chisholm did not need to press any buttons on a controller.