The Home Run Derby is synonymous with spectacle. Towering blasts, roaring crowds, and the game’s most electric sluggers put on a show under the bright lights. It’s a night where the script is usually written in long balls and legendary performances, with fans rallying behind each towering shot and counting every moonshot that clears the fence. This year was no different; all eyes were on the big names, the big bats, and the expected fireworks.
However, while the night belonged to Cal Raleigh, another star had an outing to forget: Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. Known for his flair, charisma, and unpredictable play, Chisholm walked into the derby with Demon Slayer-inspired cleats, a flashy bat from MLB’s latest anime collab, and his usual swagger. But what followed was something even the most die-hard fans didn’t see coming.
Later in the night, when asked if he would participate again next year, Chisholm Jr. said, “If I get more than 20 homers by the half next year, I’ll do it again and actually try to hit homers every swing.” He further added, “It wasn’t that I wasn’t trying to hit homers. I was trying to keep my swing and hit homers instead of just trying to hit everything in the air. I was trying to keep my line drive swing and hit homers. But you know, it gets better.” And that’s classic Chisholm with his trademark flamboyance.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. tells @mmargaux8 that he’ll do the Home Run Derby again next year if he gets to 20 home runs by the halfway point pic.twitter.com/HQdBNCadIC
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 15, 2025
A mere three home runs. Yes, just three. In an exhibition built for hitters to shine, Chisholm’s bat fell silent. Surely, it was a surprising twist, one that didn’t match the energy he brought to the ballpark. But if there’s one thing we know about him, it’s to expect the unexpected from him. And true to form, in the face of a derby collapse, he stayed unapologetically himself.
It looked like Chisholm was just sticking with the swing that’s been working so well for him all season. Well, the Home Run Derby is a whole different beast. The pitches come in slower, making it easier for hitters to square up the ball, and the whole idea is to add loft and go yard as often as possible. But for Chisholm, if it’s working fine, don’t fix it.
Sure, his regular swing might not have been ideal for the Derby, but that’s not what really matters. What matters more to him is contributing to the Yankees’ AL East title run. Currently, he’s hitting .250 and 17 HRs, but since coming off the IL, he has slashed 10 homers and 26 RBIs. So really, there’s no reason for him to change what’s working.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. might have offered one of the worst derby performances ever
In the process of preserving his swing, Chisholm ended up on the wrong side of Home Run Derby history. Notably, Chisholm managed just three home runs in the Derby. And that’s easily the lowest total in over a decade. The night saw him ranked last among all the participants. Imagine the extent of collapse for Chisholm when the next player above him scored 16 HRs!
In the earlier days of the Derby, numbers like that weren’t unusual, but now most guys are expected to hit double digits in each round. Since the Derby started in 1985, there have actually been 19 players who didn’t hit a single homer. While Chisholm took 3 HRs, it was the weakest since 2014, when Yasiel Puig didn’t hit any and Brian Dozier only managed two.
Jul 30, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees third base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) hits a three RBI home run during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Still, at least Chisholm Jr. avoided joining that zero-club, even if it wasn’t the night he had hoped for. So, the 2025 All-Star festivities didn’t start as expected for Chisholm. In the main event, the pitching will be more typical of the regular season, so he shouldn’t need to alter his swing to get his hits. Nevertheless, All-Star stats obviously won’t impact the Yankees in any way, but Chisholm surely doesn’t want to stay on the wrong side of Derby history. At least when it comes to his performance in the mid-summer classic.
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