The New York Yankees made MLB news ahead of the trade deadline in July by acquiring All-Star hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins. While Chisholm provides a big boost to the Yankees lineup, there were concerns around baseball regarding if his personality would cause problems in New York.
Chisholm, age 26, brings a unique personality to the field with a persona that can sometimes rub people the wrong way, especially in a more rigid game like baseball. That’s why it seemed unusual when the Yankees, known for having a very strict culture, decided to trade for him.
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The Yankees’ appearance policy is a perfect example of the contrast between their culture and Chisholm’s persona. Under the team’s policy, a player’s hair can’t touch their collars and they aren’t allowed to have any facial hair other than a mustache. It’s a very rigid and old-timey approach, fueling questions regarding whether or not Chisholm Jr. can fit into the clubhouse.
On the ESPN Daily podcast with Clinton Yates, senior MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN addressed some of the concerns about how Chisholm Jr. will fit into the Yankees culture and revealed he actually isn’t worried about it specifically with the Yankees.
“The Yankees culture, it’s a real thing. Jazz Chisholm is his own man, the way he goes about life is not the way the New York Yankees tend to go about business. I’m always going to worry abotu personality conflicts in the clubhouse, because if you have them, it can absolutely tear a clubhouse apart. But the one team in baseball, oddly, shockingly, that I’m not not nearly as worried about anymore ios the Yankees.
Jeff Passan on Jazz Chisholm Jr’s fit with New York Yankees culture
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As for why Passan doesn’t believe Chisholm’s unique personality will be an issue in the Yankees clubhouse, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with manager Aaron Boone. Instead, in Passan’s eyes, it’s all about Aaron Judge as a leader and his leadership style.
- Jazz Chisholm contract (Spotrac): $903,000 salary in 2024, arbitration eligible from 2025-’26
“Why? Aaron Judge. In addition to all the things that Aaron Judge does on the baseball field, he’s a genuinely good leader of men. He is somebody who knows how to read the room, who knows how to bring together teammates, knows when to pat you on the back and when to kick you on the (expletive). He knows people. I think he’s done enough looking into Jazz Chisholm and where things might have gone right and gone wrong and, in his head, ut together a plan on, “This is how we’re going to indoctrinate him into this palce that can be very intimidating and very daunting.”
Jeff Passan on Aaron Judge’s leadership with the New York Yankees
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- Jazz Chisholm stats (ESPN): .254 batting average, 17 home runs, 58 RBI, .761 OPS
The plan is working so far. In his first four games as a member of the Yankees lineup, Chisholm hit 4 home runs with 8 RBI, 1 steal and a 1.400 OPS with a .368/.400/1.000 slash line. While he will certainly cool off at the plate, the hot start is making his transition even easier and Judge’s leadership should help the team avoid any serious personality conflicts.
