Jazz Yankees
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. appears to have found an unconventional way out of his early-season struggles — by borrowing a teammate’s pants and another player’s bat.
Chisholm delivered the decisive blow in New York’s 7-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night, launching a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning while continuing a superstition-fueled routine that has caught attention inside and outside the clubhouse.
Chisholm Turns To Unusual Formula During Hot Stretch
The 28-year-old has recently traded his own gear for oversized uniform pants belonging to teammate Giancarlo Stanton and switched to a bat used by injured infielder José Caballero.
Initially, Chisholm wore larger pants from Trent Grisham before moving to Stanton’s even roomier pair when he could not locate Grisham’s uniform during a road trip. Since making the switch, Chisholm has started showing signs of breaking out offensively.
The former All-Star struggled through the opening weeks of the season and did not hit his first home run until late April. His batting average had fallen to .200 during a difficult stretch before his recent uptick.
“It will always be Stanton’s pants and José’s bat,” Chisholm said after Monday’s game.
Yankees Seeing Improvement Beyond Superstition
While the wardrobe change has become a popular clubhouse storyline, Yankees manager Aaron Boone pointed to mechanical adjustments and improved at-bats as the real reason behind Chisholm’s turnaround.
Boone said Chisholm had recently started squaring up pitches that he typically handles well and looked more comfortable at the plate.
Chisholm finished the game with a tiebreaking homer that bounced off the left-field foul pole and raised his average to .237. Teammates also embraced the change, with Cody Bellinger noting that Chisholm’s personality allows him to pull off nearly any look.
Baseball has long been filled with superstitions and routines, and Chisholm’s latest formula now joins a long list of unusual methods players have used while searching for results. For now, neither the pants nor the bat appears headed back to their original owners.
