New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. expressed a mixture of frustration and determination regarding his season-long struggles at the plate, stating that he believes sitting out will not help him break his slump. Chisholm's performance this season has seen his OPS drop significantly to .687 from .813 a year ago.
"I don’t think that would help," Chisholm said Thursday, following a game where he struck out three times. "That’s the only way I know how to get through anything is to keep going through it. I feel like to sit and just sit on it is not a good move either."
He also dismissed the idea of being pinch-hit for, even against left-handed pitchers, where his statistics show a decline. "My numbers are better [compared to last season] against lefties," he stated, despite his OPS being nearly 90 points lower against southpaws this season.
When questioned about his high whiff rate, which he estimated at 40 percent on all pitches, Chisholm admitted he couldn't pinpoint the cause. "Missing fastballs down the middle. Missing sliders down the middle. I can’t tell you why," he said. "Or else I would be hitting."
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Chisholm's struggles but noted that the infielder is not chasing bad pitches and shows patience at the plate. Boone suggested that Chisholm might be missing more pitches than usual or not capitalizing on favorable counts.
Despite the difficulties, Chisholm remains outwardly optimistic. "Forty-one good games can turn a season around. And that’s what I’m planning on doing," he said. "… I feel like mentally, I’m not defeated. So if I was mentally defeated, I think it would have been a different story in my eyes, but I’m not. I feel like I’m still as good as I am."
The Yankees, facing broader hitting challenges, are hoping Chisholm can find a solution to his slump in the remaining weeks of the season. The team has also added depth, acquiring Heliot Ramos, who was used as a pinch hitter on Thursday.