Double the Jazz
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
After a rainout on Friday, the Yankees had a scheduled doubleheader against the defending World Series champion Rangers on Saturday in the Bronx.
The Yankees split the Saturday slate, winning 8-0 in the first game before losing 9-4 in the afternoon contest.
The bigger story of the day, though, was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had two big games for the Yankees, even though they only won one of the two games on Saturday.
In the first game, Chisholm went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, a RBI, and a stolen base. In the second, he once again scored two hits and two runs while also hitting his 20th home run of the year. Unfortunately for the Yankees, their pitching staff couldn’t stop Corey Seager and the Rangers hitters.
Since coming over from Miami, Chisholm has looked at home in the Bronx.
In 12 games and 54 plate appearances, the 26-year-old utility man is hitting .300 with a 1.092 OPS. He also has hit seven home runs, more than half his home run total, in 430 plate appearances with the Marlins this season.
The Yankees want to clinch the AL East from the rival Baltimore Orioles, especially since they haven’t won a World Series since 2009, which feels like an eternity ago for this fanbase. In that case, Chisholm must continue to carry this Yankees lineup, especially at home at Yankee Stadium, where his natural lofty left-handed swing seems to play well with the park’s dimensions.
Chisholm isn’t perfect by any means. He has 16 strikeouts and only four walks so far with the Yankees, which reflects his career 28% K%. Will he start to cool down and regress if the strikeouts pile up? Or will his power continue to give him value despite the high number of swings and misses in his hitting approach?
Regardless, Yankees fans have to be happy about what Chisholm has brought to this club since being acquired at the Trade Deadline.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday.
Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
It was a big day for Alvarez as he led the Astros to a 5-4 win over the Red Sox, keeping them at the top of the AL West division. Alvarez hit his 23rd and 24th home runs and collected three RBI in Houston’s big win at Fenway Park. Alvarez’s power production is a bit down, as his slugging and OPS are both down from a year ago. That said, he is still one of the better-producing fantasy hitters.
Sam Hilliard (COL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 5 RBI.
Hilliard has found his niche at the bottom of the order for the Rockies. Against Atlanta on Saturday, Hilliard collected three hits, five RBI, and hit his fourth home run of the year. At 30 years old, Hilliard’s outlook seems limited, especially beyond this season. However, he is at least showing some pop this season with the Rockies, which gives him some value as a semi-regular bat for a rebuilding squad.
Matt Olson (ATL): 2-3, 2 HR, R, 6 RBI, BB.
One would think that when the Rockies’ nine-hitter has five RBI, it would mean a win for the Rockies. Unfortunately, this is the Rockies, and, being at Coors Field, anything can happen. Olson made something happen specifically: two bombs and six RBI. It’s been a down year for Olson, as evidenced by his .230 average and .737 OPS. That said, a solid performance like this could be the jolt he needs for an Atlanta team that’s been reeling due to injuries.
James Wood (WSN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The 21-year-old Nationals phenom has continued his torrid start to his MLB career. On Saturday, he hit his fourth home run of the season and improved his average to .266 and OPS to .786. Wood still strikes out a lot, 32.6% of the time, to be specific. That’s a significant red flag in the long term, even with his 11.8% walk rate. Nonetheless, Nationals fans and fantasy players who roster Wood should enjoy his production for now.
Zach Neto (LAA): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI, SB.
The Angels aren’t good, but Neto is emerging as the complete shortstop many expected him to be when the Angels drafted him 13th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. On Saturday, he had three hits and collected his 17th home run and 21st stolen base of the year. Neto may be a candidate to be a 20+ HR and perhaps 30+ SB guy by the conclusion of the 2024 season. That should make him a hot commodity in drafts this winter.
Kyle Isbel (KCR): 3-4, 3B, 3 R, RBI, SB.
It’s hard to say that Isbel makes sense in most fantasy leagues, especially with a .228 average. However, his Saturday performance can make fantasy managers intrigued by his potential. He had three hits, scored three runs, and stole his eighth base of the year. In an ideal world, Isbel would be a 15 HR and 15+ SB player, which would have value in fantasy leagues. Unfortunately, that’s not the exact reality for Isbel… or at least not yet.
José Caballero (TBR): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
The Rays fell short to the Orioles, but Caballero had a game to remember. The former Mariner had two hits, launched his seventh home run of the year, and stole his 31st base. Caballero has always been an excellent source of steals for fantasy managers. Unfortunately, he only hits .236 with a .652 OPS, so it’s hard to see him as much more than an emergency option for most fantasy rosters.
Corey Seager (TEX): 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The Rangers won 9-4 in the second game of the doubleheader thanks to Seager’s two-hit performance. Seager has 25 home runs and a .850 OPS in 448 plate appearances this year. It’s not quite what he did in 2023. However, it’s still productive and what the Rangers desperately need, especially with their postseason hopes getting dimmer with each loss.
Jackson Holliday (BAL): 1-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
Holliday is putting his 2-for-34 start in the big leagues behind him in his second stint with the Orioles. Since returning from Triple-A, he has hit four home runs in 35 plate appearances, including one on Saturday against the Rays. He also has cut his strikeouts in half (nine) over the same number of at-bats in this second stint. Holliday still has a long way to go, but it’s nice to see him bounce back after such a rough MLB debut.