Jazz Chisholm Jr. has quickly become one of the popular players in MLB- all thanks to his power hits, fielding skills, and energy. However, beyond his performance on the field, there is a story of growth influenced by Anime.
In a conversation with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder on The Pivot Podcast in March, the Yankees’ newest star revealed his deep connection to the Japanese manga series, One Piece. In fact, Jazz has a special relationship with its main character, Monkey D. Luffy, who along with its crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, travel through the Grand Line and are looking for a treasure to become the next King of Pirates.
Growing up, Jazz often felt like an outsider despite his talent in baseball. That is when characters like Luffy and Naruto became sources of comfort and motivation for him as they too faced challenges but stayed true to themselves on their paths to success.
The Yankees center fielder and infielder shared:
“Even when I was the best, I was still chosen last. I was always the outsider of the group.”
Jazz compared Luffy’s journey to becoming the King of Pirates and his dream of making it to the Hall of Fame, noting:
“My dream is always to be a Hall of Famer, right? But before he can become the king of the pirates, he has to go through all these obstacles, right?”
Just like Luffy earned the trust and respect of his crew, Jazz, despite being the youngest player on his team, took on leadership roles akin to Luffy’s role.
“Like me, through the minor leagues, I was the youngest on my team by four or five years every year—three, four years. But everybody still looked at me as the leader, just like Monkey D. Luffy,” shared the 26-year-old looking back at his struggles.
The conversation then turned to his debut in the major leagues, and Jazz compared his journey to Luffy’s transformation when the character realized his true potential:
“Just like how this man is just understanding this life of being a pirate and how he has to move, how he has to control his teammates or his pirate crew to become the king of the pirates. His full potential is in. Today, I feel like I’m at that point.”
This comparison to the protagonist in the Japanese manga series gave Jazz a big push to thrive in the MLB and stay true to himself both on and off the field.
Cut to the present, the 2022 All-Star, following his trade from the Miami Marlins to the New York Yankees in July, brought energy to the lineup until a sprained left elbow forced him onto the injured list in August. The injury is not that severe but it has certainly paused the red-hot momentum.
When is Chisholm Jr. expected to be back with the Yankees after his injury?
Chisholm Jr. is highly optimistic regarding his recovery from a sprained left elbow. Despite early concerns about surgery, both he and Yankees manager Aaron Boone now expect a short stay on the injured list.
As per MLB.com reports, Chisholm aims for a return after 10 days although Boone remains cautiously positive. Since joining the Yankees from the Marlins, Chisholm has maintained a.316 batting average with seven home runs over 12 games.
Tests have confirmed that it is a sprain without any tear and Chisholm is eager to resume batting activities. Still, he is being guided by the New York Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, to ensure a full recovery before making a comeback on the field.
