Jazz Chisholm Jr. has had a weird year. He started 2026 talking about a 50-50 season, then went 21 games without a home run. Then he took a foul ball to the groin and publicly said he still wouldn’t wear a cup. And now this: during the fifth inning of a game against the Tigers on Monday, the Yankees second baseman was playing defense with a green Blow Pop sticking out of his mouth.
The video went viral almost instantly. Chisholm was seen jogging around the infield, lollipop hanging from his lips, looking like a kid who just hit the concession stand before the bottom of the inning started. He later built a sandcastle near the second base bag while his teammates watched.
Aaron Boone did not find it cute.
“That pisses me off,” the Yankees manager said after the game. Boone apparently made it clear to Chisholm that the lollipop thing won’t happen again.
Fans and former players piled on
The reaction online was brutal. Dan Clark, a sports media personality, called Chisholm an “attention-seeking idiot.” Seth McClung, a former MLB pitcher, said he should be fined, calling the stunt “beyond disrespectful to the game, his team, his opponents and fans paying to watch.” Gary Phillips noted the irony: Chisholm won’t wear a cup but will chew a sucker in the field.
And the numbers don’t help his case. Chisholm is hitting .226 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs. In June, he’s at .183. He went 1-for-4 in Monday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, striking out twice. The Yankees have dropped four of their last five.
So the guy with a .183 June batting average decided to play second base with candy in his mouth. That’s a choice.
Boone says it won’t happen again. But Chisholm has shown he’s not great at reading the room. At 46-31, the Yankees still lead the AL East, but they’re in a rough stretch and their second baseman is making headlines for the wrong reasons. Again.
The series continues Tuesday night in Detroit.
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