Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Branded ‘Fake Tough Guy’ by MLB Fans for Threatening Old Royals Rival

Wherever Jazz Chisholm Jr. goes, his flamboyant style and electric energy follow. From the bat flips to the flashy slides, Chisholm has never been one to blend into the background. But with that spotlight comes scrutiny, and sometimes, controversy. If you go back to last year, a tense exchange between Chisholm and the Royals’ Maikel Garcia stirred headlines and ignited a brief but memorable feud. Now, the drama has returned.

But this time, the scene has taken a turn, and the tides of fan support may be shifting. What once seemed like swagger might now be seen as faking it.

The story began in the sixth inning. Chisholm, known for his aggressive baserunning, swiped third base. It was followed by the Royals catcher Freddy Fermin firing a strike to third baseman Maikel Garcia, who brought his glove down hard on Chisholm’s helmet while applying the tag. Chisholm immediately took exception to the contact, visibly upset by what he felt was excessive force.

“Imma tell you one more time… Imma tell you one more time… if he tags me like that again, imma smack the f— outta him.” Chisholm was heard mouthing some explicit words to Garcia.

While the play later appeared clean, more routine than retaliatory, the incident was enough to sideline Chisholm with neck discomfort. And that added another chapter to an increasingly tense personal rivalry. Given the duo’s history, Chisholm’s reaction wasn’t entirely unexpected.

If you remember Game 4 in the ALDS last October, they got into a duel! In the same sixth inning, Garcia collided awkwardly with Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Enter Jazz Chisholm. He sprinted from the infield to confront Garcia, clearly unhappy with the theatrics. While benches were cleared last year, this time it was avoided, but the two main entities remain the same.

But this time, fans are not on the side of accepting Chisholm’s meltdown. While Garcia’s act seems unintentional, fans are against Chisholm picking up fights.

Fans are calling out Chisholm’s meltdown

While Chisholm’s flair and flamboyance are evident, is he really the same tough guy on the field? Fans don’t think so.

He’d get knocked out like that fake tough guy, Tim Anderson

— NASSTY (@VA_NATO) June 11, 2025

“He’d get knocked out like that fake tough guy, Tim Anderson.” Remember how the White Sox’s Tim Anderson got knocked out by the Guardians’ Jose Ramirez in 2023? While that was one of the ugliest fights in MLB history, fans think that if Chisholm continues his antics, he might face the same fate as Anderson. That fight in 2023 saw Anderson acting as an MMA fighter, but ultimately getting a knockout punch on his face. Well, a calmer and composed attitude might just be the need of the hour for Chisholm. See the captain, Aaron Judge!

“Geeeeeee and he wonders why he gets boo’d here.” Everything comes with a reason. For the Royals fans, Chisholm isn’t just an opposing player; he’s getting in a villainous mode. His flamboyant style, assertive presence, and readiness to confront make him an easy target in opposing parks, especially where tempers have flared before. So, as you know Chisholm’s history at Kauffman Stadium, the boos are just expected.

“Same dude was saying the game needs more people talking s—, now he’s crying because someone tagged him a little hard from all his s— talking?” We remember Chisholm’s response when the Red Sox’s Hunter Dobbins trash-talked about the Yankees. Chisholm supported that, pointing out such talks can up the game’s intensity. But on-field antics should also be included in elevating the game experience, right? In this case, fans are projecting Chishom as a crybaby who can’t take hits. But the aggressive style of stealing bases followed by Chisholm is a risky move and prone to collision. In his first 35 games this year, Chisholm already has 9 SB. You have to give him credit for that.

“Gotta love the fire from a guy hitting .215 after a sub .200 postseason last year!” It’s not that Jazz Chisholm is in great form this year. Just coming back from a minor injury, he is hitting at .215 this season. Last postseason, it was just below .200. Now, fans are wondering what makes a slugger not hitting huge, offer such antics on the field. But Chisholm’s persona is not about his hitting figures. He has always been about staying aggressive on the field.

Well, if you check the clip from last year, you’ll find the duel was between Anthony Volpe and Garcia. One fan also shared the same. “This goes back to the ALDS last year….when Volpe got into it with Garcia and Jazz decided to make it his business.” It is still widely believed that rather than diffusing the situation, Chisholm escalated it. What could have been a two-man standoff became an all-out benches-clearing scene. So, for some, Chisholm is a true defender of his teammates, and for others, he is just picking up fights.

Rest assured, this is not the end of Jazz Chisholm’s flair on the field. Probably, a few more bench-clearing scenes are also on the table.

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