We're not there yet, but the Jazz Chisholm Jr. concern is mounting for Yankees fans

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been one of the best second basemen in MLB. He's been the best second baseman in the American League. He's become a dynamic player with the New York Yankees and became just the third player in franchise history to join the 30-30 club.

But as the 2026 season has opened, he's been an undisciplined mess. Through nine games, he's slashing .194/.237/.278 with just one walk and 12 strikeouts. He's always whiffed too frequently, but he's made up for it with an above-average walk rate (10.9% last year) and power. This year, that walk rate has cratered to 2.6% while he's yet to hit a home run.

It's not just at the plate that his lack of focus has caused issues, either. On Saturday, the Yankees roared back from an early 4-0 deficit, let the Marlins back into the game, and finally pulled away to enter the top of the ninth up 9-6 when Otto Lopez led off the frame with a routine groundball to second. Chisholm Jr. nonchalantly waited back for the ball to come to him, rather than charging, and made a lackadaisical throw over to first, allowing Lopez to reach on an infield single. He'd later come around to score. Though the Yankees held on to win, it was an easy play that should have been made and would've saved a lot of unnecessary pitches thrown for Bednar.

On April Fool's Day in Seattle, he foolishly got picked off at first as he continued to advance his lead while simultaneously putting on his sliding mitt. New York wound up winning the game by a score of 5-3, but at the time only had a 1-0 lead against a tough starter in George Kirby.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s mental lapses should have the Yankees worried about the present and future

Jazz has been a polarizing figure among Yankees fans since arriving in the Bronx at the 2024 trade deadline. He can be engaging and say all the right things, as he did when he was mic'd up during Netflix's Opening Day (even if it happened at night) broadcast. He can also put a target on his back, like when he proclaimed he'd go 50-50 in 2026.

In order to win a ring and join a club that currently has just one member, he'll need to have his head in the game and produce each and every night. That hasn't been the case at all this year, and if it continues for too much longer, it might bring about an uncomfortable situation for the Yankees.

So far, his play on the field has allowed the organization to let the controversies from his occasional bombastic comments roll off its back, but the longer he struggles, the more he'll become a storyline. The Yankees cannot afford the distraction an unproductive Chisholm Jr. would bring, but they also need him to play up to the standard he's set during the year-and-a-half he's donned pinstripes.

Beyond this season, there's another issue bubbling beneath the surface. The 28-year-old is a free agent to be, and his demands for an 8-to-10-year, $35 million AAV deal were outlandish before and look even more unreasonable now in light of his mental lapses and poor play.

Even if he were to sign something more in line with the six-year, $141 million contract Nico Hoerner agreed to with the Chicago Cubs that set the second base market, it would still be questionable value given his injury history and overall league-average output for most of his career.

However, with Hoerner off the board, the Yankees would have nowhere else to turn for a replacement. The market is projected to be pretty bare beyond Chisholm Jr., and the most likely internal option would be George Lombard Jr., who may or may not be ready in time. Given the experience of rushing Anthony Volpe to the majors with little in the way of Triple-A seasoning, the team would be wise to avoid repeating the same mistake with their current No. 1 overall prospect.

The best-case scenario for both sides is that Chisholm Jr. locks in and starts playing like the guy he says he wants to be. That means starting to put together quality at-bats and playing with the required focus in the field and on the bases. If he can do that, it'll be smooth sailing, and he'll get a big payday come season's end. If not? It'll be a fairly unpleasant 2026 for all.