There's a player that is one of three Miami Marlins who will decide how the season will go. The player who recently lost an arbitration case to the team. That player is CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. and he has a new attitude in 2024. Could this be enough to finally elevate him to NL MVP status? Or at least keep him more healthy and productive?
Miami Marlins CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. is making changes this season.
There's no doubt that Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the talent to be a superstar in the Majors. The Miami Marlins CF has flashed both power and speed throughout his career, mostly spent at second base. Jazz debuted in 2020 with a .161/.242/.321 batting line, with 2 home runs and 6 RBI in 21 games and 56 AB. 2021 saw Jazz play in more games than he's ever had in his career so far. He batted .248/.303/.425, with 18 home runs and 53 RBI in 124 games and 464 AB.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was worth 2.5 WAR. He was worth 2.4 WAR in 2022, in just 60 games and 213 AB. A toe injury ruined his season, but he batted .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI. The 2023 season saw more health-related issues, as Jazz only played in 97 games and received 352 AB. He batted .250/304/.457 with 19 home runs and 51 RBI.
It was sadly time to call Jazz injury-prone and he decided that it's time to shed that label. Manager Skip Schumaker has already been impressed by Jazz's work in Spring Training. Actually why don't we see what Jazz has to say about this himself:
"This is the first year I actually put in my off-the-field efforts. This is the year for me to be healthy and doing all that stuff. A healthy Jazz is an MVP Jazz. If I play the games, it would be 30-something home runs. I just don’t play the games. This year I want to play healthy."
Jazz Chisholm Jr. added that he now works out daily. "A healthy Jazz is an MVP Jazz". I truly believe that too and love his confidence. Let's hope it becomes a reality in 2024.