The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JASRADO “Jazz” Chisholm was recognised as one of the top 10 shortstop prospects by Major League Baseball Pipeline headed into the 2021 season.

MLB Pipeline recently released its annual list of Top 100 prospects and the Marlins’ infielder was among the best young players expected to impact their clubs at the position this season.

The 22-year-old Miami Marlins infielder was listed as the “Rookie of the Year Award candidate” and the player with the “Humblest Beginning.”

On his analysis as a Rookie of the Year prospect MLB Pipeline said: “Some of this has to do with opportunity. We have four players with an ETA of 2021, and if [Wander] Franco is called up early enough, he might become the favourite. But Chisholm got a taste of the big leagues in ‘20, and he could get a lot of time on either side of second base this season.”

On Chisholm’s beginning: “This is a star-studded list full of first-round draft picks and high-bonus signees. Chisholm signed for a relatively small $200,000 in July 2015 out of the Bahamas and was even overshadowed during that signing period in his home country by Lucius Fox, who signed for $6 million.”

Chisholm’s series of career milestones in 2020 was highlighted by becoming just the seventh Bahamian to play Major League Baseball. His major league call-up in September and his ensuing performance for the remainder of the season became the biggest Bahamian sports story in a year obstructed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Marlins’ No. 4 prospect and No. 61 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, Chisholm was expected to start the season with the Marlins’ AAA affiliate, the Wichita Wind Surge of the Pacific Coast League, however, the pandemic canceled minor league baseball in 2020 and shortened the major leagues to a shortened 60-game season. The Marlins were one of the teams hit by the pandemic early in the season and had the highest roster turnover of any team in the league with 17 players eventually placed on the COVID reserve list.

He made his debut on September 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Marlins Stadium. He entered the game as a defensive substitute in the top of the eighth inning for shortstop Miguel Rojas and officially became just the seventh Bahamian to play in the major leagues.

In 21 games last season he hit .161 with a .563 OPS a .242 OBP, nine hits, two home runs, nine runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases.

He recorded the first hit of his MLB career on September 5 with a single against the Tampa Bay Rays and scored the first run of his career the following day against the Braves on September 6.

Chisholm’s breakthrough at the plate came on September 9 against the Braves when he recorded his first major league home run, RBI, triple and multi-hit game.

He became the third youngest Marlins player to have a game with a home run and a triple. Chisholm had his best game of the year in the regular season finale when he blasted his second home run of the season and finished 2-4 with three RBI and scored two runs.

Chisholm made his postseason debut in the final game of the season for the Marlins.

He started at second base in the Marlins’ 7-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas and became just the second Bahamian player to play in the MLB postseason following Ed Armbrister’s run with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s.