By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Tonight will be a very special one for Bahamian Major League Baseball player Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr and his local coach and mentor Geron Sands.

Not only will he be making his debut in the 2025 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Atlanta’s Truist Park, but Sands, his step-father who played a pivotal role in his development of the game in The Bahamas, is expected to be his pitcher. “I’m pretty excited. It’s pretty cool to have my stepdad throw to me,” said Chisholm Jr about allowing Sands to throw to him when he is taking swings at the plate. “We are going to have a lot of fun.”

Chisholm Jr, who has been having a sensational second season as an infielder with the New York Yankees, will be matched against a field of Major League players. 

The list: Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners; James Wood of the Washington Nationals; Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins; Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays; Brent Rooker of the Oakland Athletics and Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves, who will be replacing teammate Ronald Acuna Jr.

Although it’s a pretty good field of competitors, Chisholm Jr said he will take it all in stride and just be himself, but hopes that Sands will be ready for the challenge ahead of him.

“I’m not trying to be thankful about it,” Chisholm Jr said. “I’m not even going to practice for it. The only person that needs practice is my stepdad.

“For me, I’ll just go out there, have fun, work 70 per cent, don’t do too much, just hit a couple of home runs. Hopefully, I’ll win it by doing that.”

Sands said he’s honoured to help Chisholm Jr pursue his dream. “It’s an honour to be chosen by Jazz to pitch to him. It’s something he and I talked about for years now, mostly his entire baseball career,” Sands said.

Having done the same for Chisholm Jr when he participated in the Don’t Blink Home Run Derby in Montagu Bay, Sands said he’s expected to deliver the same type of pitching. 

“I won’t do anything different than I normally do when I throw to Jazz,” Sands said. “I’m used to it. Anything can happen in the derby. Jazz has what it takes to win, once we get in a groove the sky’s the limit.”

Chisholm Jr, 27, will become the first Yankee to participate in a Home Run Derby since 2017 when Aaron Judge won the title in Miami.

Chisholm Jr, along with left-handed pitcher Max Fried, have joined Judge in being selected to participate in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, which will follow on Tuesday night. While Judge, the top vote getter, will be a starter for the American League in the Midsummer Classic, both Chishol Jr and Fried will be reserves in the dugout.

The Yankees’ manager Aaron Booone and his coaching staff have been selected to handle the coaching chores for the AL team.

This will be the second All-Star honor for Chisholm Jr, whose first opportunity came with the Mimi Marlins in 2022. However, he wasn’t able to play because of an injury.

After being traded from Miami to New York during last year’s midseason, Chisholm Jr has had an impressive stint in his first full season in his pinstripe uniform.

He has slashed .245/.341/.500 with nine doubles, 15 home runs, 38 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 59 games as the Yankees currently occupy second place in the AL East Division with a 53-42 win-loss record behind the front running Toronto Blue Jays, who are 55-40.

But if you ask Chisholm Jr, he will be the first to tell you that it was an honor that he deserved, considering the fact that he had to once again battle through some injuries this season. 

“You work hard, and to get the recognition, it’s amazing,” Chisholm said. “It got harder to make the All-Star team once I got hurt, but I came back and got hot, I think I worked hard for it and earned it.”:

The Yankees have also announced that they intend to move Chisholm Jr back to his original position at second base after he played third base to accommodate DJ LeMehieu after he returned from the injured list in May.

While he’s played the hot spot relatively well, Chisholm Jr and the Yankees have admitted that he got a little “banged up” with right shoulder soreness, which has affected him more throwing than hitting.

After he returned from a five-week rehabilitation due to an oblique injury, Chisholm Jr welcomed the news last week that he will be back at second base, while LeMahieu will transition to a reserve role on the bench.

“Elite defender, elite slugging, fast, great defense,” he noted about his playing ability. “I don’t know what else to tell you. Sounds like a complete player to me.”

The Bahamas Baseball Association will hold a watch party at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium for tonight’s Home Run Derby. The admission is $2 for children and $4 for adults.

The All-Star game is also to be seen on the jumbotron at the stadium for the same price on Tuesday night. Both events will bregin at 8 pm.