The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JAZZ Chisholm just missed out on the final roster spot in the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game, but he continues being one of the league's top home run hitters despite limited opportunities.

Chisholm hit his third home run of the AFL and second in as many games, an 8-7 loss for his Salt River Rafters to the Peoria Javelinas.

He finished 2-5 with two runs scored and one RBI.

In just seven games, the 20-year-old shortstop is hitting .438 with a 1.236 OPS, .455 OBP and slugging .781. He has three home runs, two doubles, five stolen bases and scored 11 runs.

Chisholm is tied for third in the league in home runs despite appearing in just seven games. Contrastingly, the players atop the leaderboard Scottsdale's Peter Alonso and Peoria's Braxton Davidson both hit five home runs in 22 and 13 games respectively.

The No.2 ranked prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation has hit safely in each of his games thus far, including five multi-hit games.

"My organisation already told me to just come here and work on a better approach to the plate and just stay within myself and not trying to overswing," he told MLB.com. "It's kind of hard to stay on top of your game but you go to practice and get your reps in all the time, just keep on working in practice like it's a game situation, get your reps up. My expectations right now are just less strikeouts, staying within myself at the plate and on top of my game."

During the regular season, between the Single-A Kane County Cougars and the Single-A Advanced Visalia Rawhide, Chisholm hit .272 with 23 doubles, six triples, 25 home runs and 70 RBI.

"Just slow it down, slow everything down, don't try and do too much. That was basically the difference between the Midwest League and the California League for me. "The ball travelled a little more, so it's a better hitters' league, so I didn't have to swing as hard as I was swinging in the Midwest League. I went to the California League and took a little bit off it, controlled my swing a little better," he told MLB's Johnathan Mayo.

"I do it in BP now and I'm still hitting balls out to centre. I just tell myself, 'no need to swing out of your shoes. Just try and hit line drives and then go.' Just trust the process like everybody's been telling me and that's all I've been doing, is trusting the process."