The future of Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the New York Yankees will be a storyline that lingers throughout the 2026 MLB season. Chisholm will be a free agent after the campaign, and considering how the Yankees handled Cody Bellinger last year, the infielder will play out his contract rather than receive an extension mid-season.
Since being traded from the Miami Marlins to New York in 2024, Chisholm has a batting average of .251 with 160 hits, 42 homers, 103 RBIs, and 103 runs scored in 176 games, per StatMuse.
During the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the New York Mets on Feb. 22 at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Chisholm spoke to YES Network and made his feelings clear on where he’d like to remain long-term.
“I don’t really think about being a free agent,” Chisholm told Meredith Marakovits. “Everybody knows I love New York, and I want to be in New York, so being a free agent isn’t really on my mind as much as anything. I feel like having the right teammates around you, the right guys around you, helps a lot, you know; [Aaron] Judge, [Gerrit] Cole, [Cody Bellinger], [Giancarlo] Stanton, [José] Caballero, all these guys, [Anthony] Volpe.
“Having all these guys around you, they help a lot, especially with guys who have already been through it, who have been through their free agent year last year and their contract and playing, and it’s hard not to look at that. But the thing that’s really driving us, or me, is that World Series. That’s why I love being here, because every year we have a chance to win the World Series and I love that.”
Yankees’ Aaron Boone on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s Pending Free Agency
Amid the uncertainty and stress that can come with playing in a contract year, Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared his thoughts on how Chisholm is approaching this situation.
“I don’t expect [the contract situation to impact him],” Boone told reporters on Feb. 17 (h/t SNY). “I feel like he’s in a really good frame of mind. He’s incredibly confident for good reason in his ability to go out there. Bottom line is he goes out there and goes to the post and does and hopefully keeps even improving in his game. He’s going to put himself in a really good position come the end of the season.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Looks to Improve His Game in 2026
Chisholm is coming off a standout 2025 season, finishing with a .242/.332/.481 slash line while setting a career high with 31 home runs and adding 31 stolen bases across 130 games. The performance made him one of only seven players in MLB to record a 30-30 season.
As a result, the Yankees infielder is aiming for 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. He also explained to Marakovits why he’s setting a lofty goal this season.
“I just feel like once you put your mind to something, you could always do it,” Chisholm added. “I’ve been saying stuff all my career, and I’ve been accomplishing it, so why not put something out there, shoot for the stars, always.”
Moreover, there’s another aspect of his game that he wants to improve that might be going under the radar.
“I would say my walks, try to get 100 walks or something like that,” Chisholm said. “Anything to really help the team win. I feel like me at my best, playing my best and being my best, and aiming for the goal is gonna help us win. So I feel like just playing my best baseball, trusting in myself, trusting in my teammates, and that should give us a World Series.”