“Alex Rodriguez without steroids” - MLB analyst commends Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s dominant outing despite Yankees lineup woes

The New York Yankees have struggled to live up to their strong start after a wobbly June. Despite the team's lackluster offense contributing to their downfall, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been one of the brightest spots for the team.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided the offensive spark to the team on several occasions since his return to the lineup after a month's injury layoff. Chisholm drove in a run for the team going 1-for-3 on Monday, registering two RBIs with a home run.

Following Monday's 5-4 loss against the Blue Jays, MLB analyst Brandon Tierney of WFAN made a bold statement about Chisholm, comparing him to Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez. He said (5:10 onwards):

"Jazz is on an absolute roll. We're looking at his numbers before the show, since he came back, it's like a 980 OPS, he's hit .360....He is indisputably the most dynamic, awesome player in baseball. He's basically Alex Rodriguez without steroids, in certain regards, better.

"So, you gotta do everything that you can possibly do to give him a chance to succeed, and taking the bat out of his hands can't happen. And it's happened too much too often, and it's a new trend, and the Yankees have to get ahead of this."

While Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been raking at the plate since his return, he was one of the culprits in Tuesday's lopsided 12-5 loss against the Blue Jays. He failed to make a play at third, highlighting the AL East leader's defensive woes in the series.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. gets honest about his infield role with Yankees

Chisholm started the season at second but has been moved to third since then. Although he'd prefer to be at second, the All-Star infielder is willing to make the sacrifice for the team's cause.

"Everybody knows I’m a second baseman,” Chisholm said. “Of course, I want to play second base, but whatever it takes to help the team win. If that’s what the team chooses, that’s what I gotta do. I don’t write the lineups. You feel me?

“I’m playing every day, so it’s hard to be upset. Yes, I know I’m a second baseman. Yes, I know I’m better at second base, but at the end of the day, I still have to play third. I just have to deal with it.”

Despite his recent showing, manager Aaron Boone is backing Jazz Chisholm Jr. in his role at third base.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash