Jazz Chisholm Jr. called his shot seven months ago.
“I think it’s gonna be career numbers — and not even career numbers like last year — I’m talking about substantially better,” he said during spring training of his upcoming season.
Fueled by his fit with this franchise, the New York Yankees’ second baseman has backed up that prediction with career-high production, but on Friday, he added an exclamation point to his season.
With his 388-foot home run off Baltimore Orioles reliever Dietrich Enns in the 7th inning, Chisholm became the third Yankee to join the 30-30 club and the first to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season since Alfonso Soriano in 2003. The feat has been accomplished two other times in franchise history — in 2002 (also by Soriano) and 1975 (Bobby Bonds). New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto is the only other player to make the 30-30 club this season.
Jazz joins the 30/30 Club 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PgXMsgysSJ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 20, 2025
Chisholm believed in February that he’d have his best year in the big leagues because of what awaited him: a packed Yankee Stadium every night, a team with World Series aspirations, a culture that embraced his unapologetic flamboyance. The secret to extracting Chisholm’s full potential, it seems, is for him to feel like the stakes matter every day he arrives at the ballpark. When he drives from his home in New Jersey into the Bronx and sees people lined up outside the gates at Yankee Stadium several hours before first pitch, he wants to put on a show for them.
“I just feel like when I’m here in New York, I’m not going to lie, I feel the energy of the fans,” Chisholm said. “They get me going every day. It gives me something to play for every day. I got my teammates here, and we love playing here. We love being a part of the Yankees. We love playing together. They push me a lot.”
Chisholm’s feat is even more impressive because he can only play a maximum of 130 games this season due to time on the injured list. Soriano played 156 games in both 2002 and 2003, and Bonds played 145 games in 1975. Chisholm also had a 39-game stretch shortly after returning from an oblique injury where he attempted just two stolen bases and was caught stealing on both tries. At the time, he was dealing with leg soreness, receiving treatment so he could stay in the lineup.
“It’s really almost been two months of play where he wasn’t stealing bases and a month where he wasn’t in the lineup,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s really impressive. Taking it back to when we got him last year at the deadline, he’s been a really productive player.”
Since the Yankees acquired him from the Miami Marlins at last season’s trade deadline for Agustín Ramirez, Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez, Chisholm has appeared in 167 games. In those 167 games, he had 40 home runs and 48 stolen bases.
During his time with the Yankees, no American League second baseman has produced more fWAR than Chisholm’s 6.4, which ranks tied-18th among all batters since he first played for New York on July 28, 2024. Thus far, the Chisholm trade has been one of general manager Brian Cashman’s best moves.
Chisholm underperformed as a Marlin, mainly because he had problems staying on the field due to injury. Before last season, Chisholm’s career high in games played was 124 in 2021, his first full season in the big leagues. In 2022, he flashed stardom, hitting 14 home runs and posting a 134 wRC+ before he was sidelined. Given his past peaks, his success this season isn’t all that surprising to him.
“I always knew I could be that guy,” Chisholm said. “I said it when I was younger, I believed I was a 40-40 player. I don’t want to use it as an excuse, but when you’re around the energy you’re around, you’re forced to be that way — not really forced — but it just happens where you have to fight through that. A lot of the years I got hurt just being reckless, just because I was fighting through that. Now that I’m in a place that I could be stable every day and know that I don’t have none of those things going on around me anymore, I can hang out and be all right. I’m calm every game. I don’t have to think about having an argument with somebody after the game or before the game, just trying to hide away from everybody. Anyone in here can call me or text me at any time.”
Chisholm is referencing his time in Miami, where he was not accepted by all of his teammates, mainly Miguel Rojas and Jesús Aguilar. That led to Chisholm being detached in the clubhouse and being labeled as a selfish player.
In New York, it’s been the opposite. Although he sometimes says things to reporters that turn into headline fodder, he is beloved in the clubhouse because of his energy.
“We can talk about what he does in the clubhouse all day, but I think it’s the energy he brings on the field,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said.
Chisholm and Judge have had a season-long battle over who would finish with the most home runs and stolen bases combined. Chisholm created the stat because he knew he likely couldn’t keep pace with Judge’s home run total. After Chisholm’s 30th home run, he has 60 combined home runs and stolen bases compared to Judge’s 60. When told that he was leading Judge recently, Chisholm beamed at the news and ran out of the clubhouse, proudly announcing, “I’m beating Cap, let’s go!’”
Chisholm already has his eyes set on becoming the first Yankees member in the 40-40 club. Only six players in baseball history have reached that milestone in one season: Soriano, Ohtani, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Chisholm will be a free agent after next season, but the 27-year-old hopes to have more than one season left in pinstripes to reach that mark.
“I don’t want to leave New York,” Chisholm said. “If you’ve ever played here, you would never want to leave. At the end of the day, it just depends on if they want me. That’s the difference. Do they want a 40-40 player? You tell me.”
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)