BALTIMORE — Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked into the batter’s box Friday night knowing one swing could change his season. On the first pitch he saw from Baltimore Orioles reliever Dietrich Enns, the New York Yankees second baseman connected with a powerful stroke that carried over the right-field wall at Camden Yards.
The two-run shot was more than a highlight. It was history. The blast gave Chisholm 30 home runs this year, making him only the third Yankee ever to pair that mark with 30 stolen bases. He now stands alongside Juan Soto as the only players in the majors to hit the 30-30 milestone in 2025.
“It’s great. I wish it would have come in a win today, but it’s great,” Chisholm said after the Yankees’ 4-2 defeat. “I had to soak it in. I feel like it was in a big place in the game, too, so I got hyped up about it.”
Rare company spanning five decades of Yankees history
Chisholm’s accomplishment puts him in a select corner of Yankees history. Bobby Bonds first did it in 1975, posting 32 homers and 30 steals. Alfonso Soriano then joined the club twice, powering to 39 homers and 41 steals in 2002 and following with 38 homers and 35 steals in 2003.
The feat carries added weight for Chisholm because of the hurdles he overcame this season. He missed a month with an oblique strain. He also endured a 39-game stretch slowed by groin problems that limited him to two unsuccessful stolen base tries.
“Thirty-thirty invokes a lot of things and certainly lines up with his skill set,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But the fact that he’s done that with missing a month of the season, not running for parts of the year, it’s just a peek into what a good player he is.”
From Miami struggles to Bronx breakthrough
Jazz Chisholm’s road to this achievement began with struggles in Miami. During his time with the Marlins, injuries piled up and his presence in the clubhouse often felt disconnected. A midseason trade last year brought him to the Bronx, and the change of scenery transformed his career.
“I feel like it’s boosted my career in 100% of different ways,” Chisholm said about joining the Yankees. “The winning mentality, the winning atmosphere, the way everybody in the front office to the training staff wants to win is how I felt like I grew up playing baseball and what I needed to be around to be even more successful.”
Since putting on pinstripes, Chisholm has thrived. Over 167 games as a Yankee, he has totaled 40 home runs, 48 steals, and a 6.4 fWAR, the highest mark among American League second basemen during that span.
Setting sights on historic 40-40 territory
Reaching 30-30 only heightened Chisholm’s ambitions. He now has his eyes on the even rarer 40-40 club, achieved by just six players: Alfonso Soriano, Shohei Ohtani, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, and Ronald Acuña Jr.
“I’ve been saying that [since] I was a rookie, so I definitely think 40-40 is very achievable in a full, healthy season,” Chisholm said.
His belief is backed by results. Despite missing time this year, he reached 30-30 in only 121 games. A full season could put him within range of that elite mark.
“He probably feels like he could be more than that,” Boone said, joking about Chisholm’s unwavering confidence.
Defensive struggles mar historic night
Chisholm’s night wasn’t flawless. In the sixth inning, he committed a costly defensive error that helped Baltimore build its lead.
Gunnar Henderson hit a grounder to second base. Chisholm tried to flip the ball with his glove to Paul Goldschmidt at first, but the throw sailed past him, setting up runners in scoring position.
“I thought I was a little bit further in front of (Goldschmidt) when I was about to flip it,” Chisholm said. “Just a misplay by me. Could have been better. Could have at least gotten it to Paulie, even if he would have been safe.”
Boone defended his player’s attempt. “I think that’s the only way he could have done it. He needed to nail it right away, and I think he had to snatch it a little bit a second time. Once he kind of double-clutched or double-hitched, then he probably didn’t have a play, and it would have been better just to eat it.”
The mistake was part of the sixth-inning chaos that allowed the Orioles to pull ahead for good.
Chisholm building toward the future in pinstripes
Chisholm’s 30-30 milestone is more than a personal triumph. It signals his emergence as a core piece of the Yankees’ future. The 27-year-old has become a perfect fit in New York, where his energy and skill blend with the franchise’s championship standards.
“I don’t want to leave New York,” Chisholm has said before. “If you’ve ever played here, you would never want to leave. At the end of the day, it just depends on if they want me. That’s the difference. Do they want a 40-40 player? You tell me.”
With two years remaining before free agency, Chisholm’s role as a cornerstone is clear. His mix of speed, power, and charisma make him the type of star who thrives in the spotlight of Yankee Stadium.
As the ball soared into the Baltimore night on Friday, Chisholm had earned his place in Yankees history. He joined Soto in this year’s 30-30 club and became the first Yankee in over two decades to match Bonds and Soriano.
The achievement marked a new chapter in his career. He had reached a milestone only a few Yankees before him had achieved, and his confidence suggests the story may just be beginning.
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