‘Jazz is starting his thing.’ Miami Marlins rookie quickly impressing to start season
The first hit was a sigh of relief. After making solid contact each of his first four plate appearances to begin the 2021 season, Miami Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. finally reached base the fifth time around when a groundball snuck past the Tampa Bay Rays’ middle infielders and rolled into center field for a single in the fifth inning on Friday.
His second hit of the night was a rally starter and one that truly showcases the rookie’s potential. With a 1-2 count and two outs in the seventh inning, Chisholm lifted a low slider from Rays relief pitcher Chaz Roe and launched it to the wall in right-center field at loanDepot park for a triple. After sliding head-first into third base, Chisholm let out a yell of jubilation. The next three Marlins batters all safely reached base as part of a three-run rally in Miami’s 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay.
And on Saturday, as part of the Marlins’ 12-7 win over the Rays to salvage one game in the three-game series, Chisholm came up big on the basepaths in the fourth inning when he drew a walk, stole second on a pickoff attempt, stole third a pitch later and scored on a Chad Wallach sacrifice fly.
Chisholm, with his hair dyed blue and a big personality to complement his big-play potential, has shown early this season he can be a catalyst for this Marlins team.
“Hold on,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Jazz is starting his thing.”
It actually started back in spring training, when Chisholm took hold of the starting second base job over Isan Diaz. The No. 4 prospect in Miami’s system and the No. 66 overall prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline showed his power potential with three towering home runs in Grapefruit League play, two of which came of the Mets’ Robert Gsellman and the Astros’ Enoli Paredes. He stole bases. He drew walks. He brought a certain energy to the field.
“I feel like I can help the team at any time,” Chisholm said pregame Thursday while wearing a Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball jersey before taking the field for his first career Opening Day start. “With the bat, with my legs, with the glove. I’ve got to go out there and focus on every pitch, every play no matter if I’m on base, on defense or in the batter’s box.”
Which brings us back to the seventh inning on Friday. According to Statcast, the ball Chisholm put into play for his rally-starting triple had an exit velocity of 108.6 mph. That’s the hardest-hit ball by a Marlins player through the first two games this season. Four of the six balls Chisholm has put into play heading into Saturday’s series finale had exit velocities above 95 mph, the minimum to be qualified as a hard-hit ball by Statcast.
“Jazz is going to be good, for sure,” first baseman Jesus Aguilar said. “He can hit. He can play defense.”
Outfielder Starling Marte added: “He’s a young guy, very few MLB games, but you can see that he has so many tools.”
As for the blue hair?
“It’s awesome,” Aguilar said. “Something new. Something different. Something fresh. That’s his style.”
Chisholm has the seal of approval from his manager, as well.
“I don’t worry about that kind of stuff,” Mattingly said. “Honestly, I like guys with personality and have confidence and swagger. As long as they prepare properly and get out to the game the right way, I’m good with all the kind of external stuff.”
It’s early, but Chisholm has gotten off to the right start.
This and that
▪ In an attempt to get bench players at-bats early in the season, Mattingly had superutility reserve Jon Berti, outfielder Lewis Brinson and catcher Chad Wallach in the starting lineup in Saturday’s series finale with the Rays. Berti started at third base and batted seventh with Brian Anderson on the bench. Brinson, in the lineup to give Adam Duvall a day off, batted fifth and started in left field. Wallach batted eighth.
Left-handed-hitting outfielder Corey Dickerson sat for the second consecutive day with the Marlins facing a left-handed starting pitcher (Rich Hill). Mattingly said the plan early this season will be to have Dickerson on the bench when facing left-handed starting pitching.
“I want to make sure everybody gets into this mix,” Mattingly said. “It’s one of the things with a good team is we see that our bench is a lot better.”
▪ While he wasn’t in the lineup Saturday, Jorge Alfaro will get the “lion’s share” of starts at catcher. Mattingly said he was impressed with how Alfaro looked in spring training and wants to get an extended look this season at if Alfaro can become a frontline starting catcher.
▪ Mattingly on Saturday called MLB’s announcement to relocate the All-Star Game out of Atlanta over new controversial elections laws in Georgia “really bold.” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter on Friday, shortly after the league’s announcement, released a statement throwing the team’s support behind MLB’s decision.
“The act of participating in our country’s election process is our civic responsibility and instrumental to our country’s foundation,” Jeter said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Mattingly said. “I think [Jeter] said it perfectly, and I have the same beliefs.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 11:46 AM.
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