"A little bit of the flashy will go into his game" - Mookie Betts sees Jazz Chisholm Jr. thriving under Yankees discipline
Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates recently discussed the New York Yankees' trade of Jazz Chisholm Jr. They also talked about how the 26-year-old will find life at his new home.
Chisholm Jr. was acquired by the Yankees from the Miami Marlins ahead of the trade deadline. It was part of a deal that saw prospects Agustin Ramirez, Jared Serna and Abraham Ramirez go the other way.
The deal comes at an important time for the Bronx Bombers, who have been looking for long-term fixtures in defense for some time now.
Speaking on the latest episode of On Base, Betts talked about how coming to an organization like the Yankees could help Chisholm improve on the field.
"Jazz was in Miami, where he was the man. Going to the Yankees, where they got guys that are established with very succesful big league careers, and Jazz being young still, he can't go and be the same way. There's also an 'aura' about the Yankees, I think he will need to tone it down a little bit.
"A little bit of the flashy will go into his game, and I think his game will elevate."
Talking about how Jazz Chisholm's performances on the pitch will help smooth over the task of settling into a new environment, McCutchen added:
"The person that he is on the field, everything he does, his game speaks for itself. I think it will flip, it will be what he does on the field, and whatever else comes with it. I don't think he needs to change who he is."
"It's 2024, you already have a Marcus Stroman there, going with an untucked jersey, a durag under the hat, if you thought that would happen 10 years ago, that wouldn't happen. It's a different game now, people need to have personality on the field."
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits sixth home run for Yankees, continues to revitalize offence
In his short time wearing the pinstripes so far, Chisholm Jr. has already accumulated six home runs. The latest of which came in Game 1 of the double-header against the Texas Rangers at home.
Chisholm has also registered 10 RBIs in the same time frame, as he looks to be a shrewd acquisition for Aaron Boone's side.
Though his stint at the Miami Marlins didn't go exactly to plan, a change of scenery seems to be doing Jazz Chisholm Jr. a world of good. With the presence of stars such as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, breaking free from the shackles of being the 'main man' of the franchise has helped elevate Chisholm's game.
Chisholm Jr. and the Bronx Bombers take on the Texas Rangers in the final game of the series on Sunday, before taking on the struggling Chicago White Sox on the road.
Fans will hope Chisholm and co. can keep their bats hot until the end of the season, as the battle for top spot in the American League East intensifies by the day.