The Yankees last year had several fielding blunders, with credit to Anthony Volpe‘s league-leading 19 errors. This year, while Volpe is sidelined with injuries, Jazz Chisholm seems to have taken over the responsibility. His latest defensive blunder again cost a game for the Yankees against the Rays, and the worst part is how he justified his action after the game.

While the justification sounded like typical unapologetic Chisholm, Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy has had enough.

“As much as I don’t like the Yankees, I am going to cast my vote on trolling,” Portnoy shared via Wake Up Barstool. “I don’t think anybody can be this stupid… A Yankees player trolling after botching a ground ball that loses a game is not a good career decision in New York City. It’s in a contract year, too.”

Chisholm made his MLB debut in 2020. Before that, he made his professional debut in 2016. So, someone like him, who has years of baseball experience and manages the infield in a big-market team like the Yankees, is expected to be a genius when it comes to knowing the game rules. However, after his fielding blunder against the Rays, he chose to be brutally honest and admitted that he is not aware of a specific baseball rule!

 

“I was really going to go try to tag the runner and just throw it to first. I don’t know what the rule is. If I went to first base first and threw it back to second, if it’s still an out. Is it still a double play? I don’t know. Does it count as not an RBI?” Chisholm said. Although he was quickly rebuked by Trent Grisham about the rule, the damage was already done.

So, Portnoy wonders if someone from New York could be that “stupid.”

On Saturday, the Rays had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The scores were tied 4-4 when the Rays’ Jonathan Aranda grounded the ball to Chisholm. It was a routine grounder, but Chisholm bobbled it. He failed to pick and manage a force out. Instead, Chisholm made another blunder by trying to tag the runner and then throw to first. The delay allowed the winning run to cross home plate, walking off the Yankees 5-4.

Afterward, Chisholm shockingly admitted he was not aware if throwing to first before second could have been a double play.

And just as Chisholm made both on-field and off-field blunders, manager Aaron Boone came out defending his slugger. “He’s not confused,” Boone said. “I think that’s his kind of default answer when he’s got (reporters) in front of him.”

Portnoy wonders if Jazz Chisholm’s statement and Boone’s defense of him are doing any good, especially when it is the last season for Chisholm before he hits free agency. With Chisholm currently slashing .179 with no homer yet, it’s difficult to survive the New York scene.

Chisholm’s offense worsens the Yankees’ dwindling numbers

While Chisholm’s fielding is already costing the Yankees dearly, his offense is also doing no good. For reference, in the first 12 games of this season, Chisholm slashed .186/.255/.256, for an OPS of .511. And now that the Yankees have already played 15 games, Chisholm still has zero home runs.

That’s just one part of the slumping Yankees offense. Other than Chisholm, Trent Grisham (.133), Randal Grichuk (.000), J.C. Escarra (.000), and Ryan McMahon (.114) are all staying below the minimum expected stats. This stands in stark contrast to when the nearly same lineup led the American League with 815 runs scored and the majors with 237 homers last season.

Remember, after the offseason, the Yankees front office hyped the narrative that they are “running it back” with the same roster. “We’re coming with a team that won 94 games last year,” Boone said about the Yankees backing nearly the same roster. So, despite having the same names, ranking 28th in terms of team average (.202) is far from expected.

Yes, 15 games can’t decide the fate of the season, and there are still around 145 games left. But with how the Yankees’ offense is faltering in April and adding up with Jazz Chisholm’s fielding blunders, fans might see the repetition of the last year.

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