Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his debut with the New York Yankees on Sunday night against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, just one day after being traded from the Miami Marlins for three minor leaguers.
Chisholm arrived at the ballpark about 90 minutes before the game started and was listed in the lineup batting fifth and playing center field. Wearing uniform No. 13, he went 1 for 5 with a single and scored a run in the Yankees’ 8-2 win.
“I was super excited,” Chisholm said about wearing a Yankees uniform. “Every kid dreams of being a Yankee; it’s the most famous team in baseball that Derek Jeter played on. Everybody’s favorite player was Derek Jeter growing up. I had him as an owner, so I just felt it was right to come up and put on a uniform.”
Chisholm jumped into the game despite arriving later than he planned.
“The flight was delayed an extra hour, and the drive over here took an extra 30 minutes because of traffic,” he said. “It was a lot of stops to get here. I got here, put on the uniform, and went out to play.”
Chisholm said that manager Aaron Boone called him on Saturday and asked if playing right away would be too much.
“Right now, I’ve got him in the middle of the order,” Boone said about 40 minutes before Chisholm arrived. “I kind of see him there right now, especially the way (Alex Verdugo), I feel like, is starting to swing the bat.”
When asked why he chose No. 13, Chisholm said: “There were no single digits available,” referring to the Yankees’ history with retired numbers.
He then explained it was because Alex Rodriguez wore it.
“It was only right to pick the number I admired as a kid, watching A-Rod,” he said.
An All-Star second baseman in 2022, the 26-year-old Chisholm has played center field for most of the past two seasons. He batted .249 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs for Miami this year and is a .246 career hitter with 66 home runs and 205 RBIs in five seasons.
