2 Yankees hoping Jazz Chisholm's home run binge slows down for wildly different reasons

No one is happier the weather heated up on the east coast than New York Yankees star Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was fighting with the cold for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it was ridiculously uncomfortable; nobody wants to play baseball with a mouth scarf. Secondly, though, it was getting in the way of his lofty power goals. Chisholm, always electric, has been particularly motivated to mash home runs this season - and he's letting out a little playful aggression every time he does so.

You see, Chisholm - never one to back down from a challenge - is motivated by the locker room's big dog: Aaron Judge, perhaps the best right-handed hitter to ever do it. When the Yankees traded for Chisholm, we were told that Judge's unique brand of leadership would keep the eccentric star motivated in a way we'd never seen before (far better than Miguel Rojas' uniquely horrible brand of "leadership"). Thus far, Judge has lit Chisholm's spark by employing a playfully competitive tactic.

This spring, Chisholm claimed he wanted to "be Judge when he grew up," to which The Captain responded that he planned to chase down Chisholm's stolen base total and beat him in 2025. That bet has evolved to Chisholm striving daily to match Judge in home runs and steals combined this season.

Given that Judge has started the season hitting over .400 and putting on a one-of-a-kind show, even by his standards, that could be difficult. So far, though, Chisholm has found loft in his swing and is keeping pace with No. 99's majesty. No clues on what the parameters of the bet entail, but Judge might not be as safe as he thought at first.

Of course, there are other folks in the dugout with more immediate concerns: like Yankees hitting coach Pat Roessler, who Chisholm bites every time he homers. Like, really chows down on aggressively.

New York Yankees star Jazz Chisholm is biting hitting coach Pat Roessler out of love (or maybe fueled by a bet with Aaron Judge?)

Roessler, an old-school veteran tutor, is essentially the polar opposite of the type of personality you might expect Chisholm to connect with (using his teeth). Still, the ex-Nationals coach was brought in to help mentor an equally swaggering player last year in Juan Soto, and must have the special sauce to unlock the best in these supreme, quirky talents. If all it takes is a few bites on the arm to keep Chisholm locked in, he'll take his lumps.

Still, both Roessler and Judge have plenty on the line every time Chisholm goes yard. Maybe it's time for a lesson in how important doubles and walks can still be in the modern game?