Jazz Chisholm Jr. spent his first four-plus big league seasons in Miami, and he didn’t always have the easiest time there.
But with the second baseman returning to LoanDepot Park for the first time since being traded to the Yankees last summer, Chisholm is hardly adding importance to a three-game series with the Marlins that starts on Friday.
“It’s not a big deal to me going to Miami,” a laughing Chisholm told the Daily News earlier this week.
One of baseball’s more colorful and candid characters, Chisholm’s vibrant personality has been embraced in the Yankees’ clubhouse since last summer’s swap, which sent Abrahan Ramirez, Jared Serna and Agustín Ramírez to the Marlins. However, the 27-year-old had a hard time fitting in amongst the Marlins’ veterans from 2020-2024.
Chisholm has openly talked about how the team took issue with the way he dressed, as well as his distaste for Miguel Rojas. The artistic infielder has told stories about Rojas pouring milk in and cutting up pairs of Chisholm’s custom cleats as a rookie.
Back in spring training, the Bahamian-born Chisholm, who is Black, told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner that he felt racial bias played a part in him being ostracized in Miami, though other players on that team felt the rift stemmed more from a clash between old-school and new-school personalities.
No such divide has surfaced in New York. While Aaron Boone will occasionally tell Chisholm to be himself “within reason,” the infielder is living his best life with the Yankees.
“Yes, 100 percent,” Chisholm told The News back in March when asked if it was tougher to be himself as a Marlin. “I felt like Miami had more rules than here.”
“Everybody’s telling me to be myself [in New York]. Nobody really wants me to take my personality away, and they really love me being myself,” Chisholm added. “I’m super comfortable here. I wouldn’t want to go nowhere else, honestly.”
Chisholm has enjoyed a strong season since those comments, as he entered Thursday’s game against the Rays with a .244 average, .813 OPS, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a 127 wRC+. He’s been even better since returning from an oblique strain in early June, hitting .282 with an .874 OPS, 11 homers and 32 RBI prior to Thursday.
With Chisholm feeling cozier in the Yankees’ clubhouse and playing some of the best baseball of his career, he feels there’s no need for him to have a chip on his shoulder against the Marlins this weekend.
“Nope. No. For what? It’s Miami,” he said. “I’m here doing what I gotta do.”
Chisholm added that he’s still close with a few Marlins, including Xavier Edwards and Edward Cabrera. He also mentioned Jesús Sánchez, but he was traded to the Astros on Thursday.
As for all the vets Chisholm beefed with, they are no longer on the Marlins. That includes Rojas, a member of the Dodgers.
“They already cleared out,” Chisholm said. “I don’t know nobody else.”
