You know you’re bad meaning good, when you take a Jacob deGrom 100 mile per hour heater and deposit it in the upper deck, and then eurostep across home plate like it’s just another day at the office.

 

 

Jazz Chisholm is bad.

We’re just 13 games into the “Jazz Age,” but the arrival of the Bahamian-born rising super bro has been music to the ears of Miami Marlins fans.

 

 

Chisholm is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, which he extended on Sunday in the Marlins’ 1-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

The 23-year old second baseman has already matched or topped all of his totals from the 2020 season, and he’s done it by utilizing the consistent power and speed that saw him enter the season as one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

During his streak Jazz is batting .435, with three home runs and five RBIs. 

Here’s how good Chisholm has been over the past week.

 

R H HR SB
9 7 9 6

 

His rise might surprise those who criticized the Marlins for trading pitcher Zac Gallen for him. Gallen has been very good for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he’s just entering his prime.

Before his streak began, Chisholm had been too aggressive at the plate. Over the first 73 at-bats of his young career, he was at a severe disadvantage against big-league pitching. Jazz was out of tune with his swing and his timing; collecting only 12 hits (.164) while striking out 25 times.

That would shake the confidence of most young players. Even if they understand that baseball is a game of failure, nobody’s out there trying to fail.

But Jazz Chisholm isn’t your average young player. The kid drips with charismatic star power and resilience.  If Tim Anderson is Nike’s MLB frontman, then Jazz isn’t far behind. 

 

 

He’s the same young man that announced his arrival in South Florida with the bold proclamation that the Marlins will win a World Series within the next three years.

 

 

Though he’s more than happy to be in Miami, he hasn’t forgotten his old team either. Jazz is already looking forward to facing Gallen, and taking him deep.

“I’m not going to lie to you though, the one thing that I really do want to do is take him deep. That’s it,” Chisholm said on the R2C2 podcast with former great CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco. “I know we’re going to Arizona soon, so I want him to be healthy and at 100%, because facing me is going to be a m—–f—– when I get there.”

Add to that his swaying chains, fashion sense, unmistakable blue hair, five-tool talent, and the fact that he’s just the 7th MLB player born in the Bahamas, baseball could have another young, Black superstar on the horizon.

 

 

Baseball has been needing an injection of life as the game has started to resemble beer league softball at times.

Meanwhile, there’s Jazz Chisholm, creating offense with his bat and his legs. Rickey Henderson-wrecking the opposition’s game plan. 

 

 

It’s an interesting dynamic to see the fiery, flashy Chisholm under the guidance of Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly among others.

“He’s a really confident kid, plays with a joy that I love,” Mattingly said before the season. “He’s got a smile on his face, high energy, and high talent. This guy is capable of doing a lot. He’s one of those guys that, once he puts his whole package together, this is a superstar. This isn’t like a good player, he has a chance to be a great player and that’s what will help Jazz walk through it day in and day out.” 

The Marlins shocked the world by making the playoffs last season and beating the Cubs to get to the NLDS. If Jazz keeps this rhythm, we might be watching the Marlins making some October music once again.