Jazz Chisholm Jr. Adamant About Wanting To Stay With Yankees After Rays Sweep

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has no qualms about where he wants to be next season.

"I love it as a Yankee," Chisholm, who's set to be a free agent this coming offseason, said in a postgame press conference on Wednesday night following the Yankees' season-ending Game 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. "I grew up as a Yankee fan. Being from the Bahamas, watching Derek Jeter and those guys every day, it was a great time being a Yankee. I loved my time with the Yankees. I had great years with the Yankees, had an All-Star year, had a Silver Slugger year. Yeah, it was great.

"I mean, who doesn't want to stay with a team that you've had such great times with and great years with? To see it maybe end here sucks, but it's part of the business."

Chisholm had a bumpy 2026 season.

In the regular season, Chisholm totaled 19 home runs, 55 RBIs, 41 stolen bases, a 97 OPS+ and 1.7 wins above replacement over 137 games, while finishing with a .231/.312/.399 slash line. He posted -6 defensive runs saved at second base.

Then, Chisholm committed a throwing error in the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS that allowed the Rays to score a run and had only two hits in the postseason altogether; he started just three of the Yankees' five playoff games. On a bizarre note, Chisholm has hit .182 in the postseason in each of his three years with the Yankees (2024-26).

The year prior (2025), Chisholm had arguably the best season of his MLB career, totaling 31 home runs, 80 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and 4.1 wins above replacement over 130 games, while posting a .242/.332/.481 slash line. Chisholm, who posted two defensive runs saved at second base, earned both an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger honor.

New York acquired Chisholm from the Miami Marlins before the 2024 MLB trade deadline. After extensive time at second base, shortstop and center field with the Marlins, the Yankees initially played Chisholm at third base throughout their run to the 2024 World Series before moving him back to second base on a full-time basis with occasional cameos at the hot corner in 2025.

While Chisholm, who will be 29 at the start of the 2027 MLB season, could ultimately be back in the Bronx next season, the Yankees could also find his replacement in-house; shortstop Anthony Volpe got playing time at second base for New York down the stretch, including in the postseason, with touted rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. now playing every day at shortstop.