Jazz Chisholm Jr. Delivers First Career Walk-Off for Yankees in Crucial Win

The Yankees' trade deadline acquisition came through with one of the biggest hits of the season.

Sep 11, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates with starting pitcher Luis Gil (81) and teammates after hitting a game winning RBI single during the eleventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It was a movie-like scenario for Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the bottom of the 11th inning on Wednesday.

Although the New York Yankees' prized deadline acquisition still had outstanding total numbers with his new team (.300/.344/.567, nine home runs, 13 stolen bases in 13 attempts, a 155 wRC+, and 1.7 fWAR in only 31 games), Chisholm was in a 2-for-18 slump entering the series finale against the Kansas City Royals. In his first four plate appearances of the night, he was 0-for-3 with a walk; in the series, he was hitless in nine at-bats.

Naturally, this meant he would come to bat with the game on the line.

Both the Yankees and Royals fought tooth and nail into extra innings, with both teams pushing across a run in the tenth frame; New York seized the advantage in the eleventh by holding Kansas City scoreless in the top half, and had the speedy Jon Berti (pinch running for Gleyber Torres) on second to begin the bottom half. Juan Soto's groundout moved the winning run over to third, but Aaron Judge was intentionally walked to get to Chisholm, who would face southpaw Kris Bubic.

Working the count to 2-1, the 26-year-old third baseman pounced on a slider down and away and hit a grounder to the left side of the infield, one that had "game-winner" written all over it. Kansas City's star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a sensational diving stab at the ball, but with Berti racing home, Witt could only uncork a desperate wide throw to the plate as the Yankees secured an integral 4-3 victory. For Chisholm, it was his first career walk-off hit.

ya' like Jazz? #RepBX pic.twitter.com/YPWdKIbGdT

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 12, 2024

"It just takes heart," Chisholm said after the game. "We know we’re not playing to our ability right now. Nobody’s hot right now; Cap [Judge] cooled off a little bit. Soto went into a little rut. But this is how you stay together. This is a championship team, and this is what we do. We grind it out."

The 26-year-old's first career walk-off was an especially timely one; not only did it end his slide at the plate and further endear himself to the Bronx Bombers' fanbase, but it created some more breathing room in the AL East. Just a few minutes earlier, the Baltimore Orioles fell to the Boston Red Sox in extra innings at Fenway Park, giving the Yankees a cushion of 1.5 games.

The Yankees will host their hated rivals for four games from Thursday to Sunday, which will surely create a playoff-like atmosphere that Wednesday's contest also contained. From Chisholm's point of view, he can't get enough of it.

"I think it’s going to be amazing," Chisholm said. "I think I’m going to go out there and play my heart out every day. I’m going to leave it all out there until we get that ring."

If Chisholm can provide timely moments like he did on Wednesday, then the Yankees should like their chances.