Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been that ‘spark’ element for the New York Yankees team, and he has delivered. In fact, it won’t be far-fetched to say that the team has won more with Chisholm Jr on board with them. With a 1 fWAR (9th in the league), a 190 wRC+ (19th among MLB hitters), and a strong defensive rating, the 26-year-old has been a versatile asset. He’s even added seven home runs, a .296 average, 11 RBIs, and four stolen bases! Plus, he became the first player in Yankees’ history to hit four homers in his first three games. Despite these stellar results, he has quickly been slapped with an ‘overrated’ player tag.

This isn’t an uncommon fate for rising stars—remember how Cristiano Ronaldo faced his share of doubts early in his career? Well, Chisholm Jr.’s arrival to the Yankees team was much-needed for the team’s lineup, which predominantly struggled outside of Judge and Soto. And he has been doing splendidly. However, while his story has been met with everything from criticism and victories, now, it also faces a setback—Jazz Chisholm Jr. is injured! Well, call it poor luck- the team might be in big trouble if he isn’t on the rooster.

Yankees night takes a tough turn, with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s injury! 

The night was already not going well for the Yankees, and Jazz Chisholm gave another stressor to add to the ‘things to worry about’ list. Jazz Chisholm Jr. had to leave Monday’s 12-2 loss to the White Sox after he suffered a left elbow injury. In the fifth inning, with the Yankees down 4-1, Chisholm showcased his impressive baseball IQ by sprinting home on an Anthony Volpe infield single to the left side. Then, he sprinted to the plate and made a forceful slide, reaching ahead of the tag. Although a brilliant move, this move cost him with an injury to his elbow.

The broadcast then showed Chisolm Jr. flexing his arm, clearly in pain. However, he didn’t leave the game just yet, but when the adrenaline faded, he felt pain creep in. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then approached Boone and the training staff, saying his elbow was “throbbing a little bit.” He was soon replaced by a pinch-hitter at the top of the seventh inning and promptly checked out by the White Sox team’s physician. As the X-rays thankfully came back negative, after the test, Chisolm Jr. noted, “I’m not super concerned about it. All the tests we’ve done in here have been pretty positive. I still feel it a little bit, still kind of sore, but I think we’re going to be good.”

However, for better imaging, an MRI is set to be scheduled on Tuesday along with some other tests. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is undoubtedly one with a positive attitude. Nonetheless, he was recently named at a poll with 100 other players who are most overrated, and he came first with 20% of the votes! And shockingly enough, he even found a silver lining here!

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits back on critics

After doing how well Chisholm has been doing, one would expect him to be in the – next big thing category, but no! Instead, Jazz Chisholm Jr. ended up as the most overrated player in baseball. Second on the list was LA Angels infielder Antony Rendon, but Rendon received only half of the votes that Chisholm got. The new Yankee star did see the results, and seems like he has a fair idea of the 11 players who voted for him!

Chisholm Jr. decided to hit back at the critics. Chisholm Jr said to Deesa Thosar of Fox Sports, “What was it, 11 players? I definitely knew who they were talking to. It wasn’t hard to figure out who the players were. I didn’t really care. Who cares what someone else has to say about me? If he really voted that I’m overrated, that means you got something in your psyche, bro.” He also clarified he never cast a vote in the category as he doesn’t look for who is overrated or not among his peers. In fact, being the positive person Jazz Chisholm Jr. is, he found the silver lining and said, “If you call me overrated, I must be good. That’s how I look at it.”

The main issue or criticism that Jazz Chisholm Jr. faces is that his performance doesn’t do the talking as much as his personality and the hype he creates in the field. But, well, his results have been splendid till now. The 26-year-old has an All-Star appearance and he was also the cover athlete for MLB The Show in 2023. Although he still hasn’t reached the level of Ohtani or Judge, he already has a career-high of 20 home runs in 2024. Plus, he is one of only five MLB players with at least 20 homers and 25 steals this season.

Now, with his injury, it remains to see whether he will be present at the showdown with the Chicago White Sox for the AL East title. Nevertheless, the criticism and setbacks only make a person push forward more and he can use this time as fuel to prove that he is, indeed, worth the hype!