Despite being in a comfortable position for the playoffs, the New York Yankees’ offensive struggles have become difficult to overlook. Some of their biggest stars are on the injured list, while the remaining lineup has failed to provide consistent production. With the regular season nearing its end, patience with some of the underperforming veterans is wearing thin. After they dropped another game on Sunday, an insider delivered a harsh reality check on two of the biggest stars on the roster.

“Grisham and Chisholm are both in their walk year,” Joel Sherman said on the Pinstripe Podcast. “To me, those guys have lost the right to automatically be in the lineup every day.”

Trent Grisham is slashing .213/.308/.391 this year, and he has managed just 44 RBIs with 13 homers so far. His OPS has dropped over .100 points compared to last year. Meanwhile, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has a slash line of .216/.295/.396 in 2026. He managed just 47 RBIs and 17 HRs. These are his worst numbers since his rookie season in 2020, so Sherman’s criticism isn’t based on just one game.

Grisham recorded the only run during the Yankees’ 2-1 defeat against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. The 29-year-old’s homer helped New York push the game to extra innings. On the other hand, though, Chisholm has been going through a dry spell for some time. So far, he is 2-for-23 in August. The insider emphasized that manager Aaron Boone even tried to use them as pinch-hitters, but Chisholm has been struggling against left-handed pitching, which hasn’t made the case much better for the Yankees. 

The Pinstripes have their captain, Aaron Judge, alongside Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton on the IL. And the biggest issue is that the veterans like Grisham and Chisholm should have stepped up in their absence. Instead, they have been highly inconsistent. 

And the reason their performance is in the spotlight is that the Yankees are 28th in the league with a .230 batting average. Catcher Austin Wells even admitted that it’s the pitchers who are still keeping them in the game.

Judge has recently started outdoor running, but he is still not ready to participate in baseball activities. Bellinger and Stanton are expected to return soon, and with their return, both Grisham and Chisholm might not have a guaranteed spot on the roster. 

“Those two guys have not played well on either side of the ball for a very extended period,” Sherman added. “That means play who you like. It’s pedigrees out the window. Veteran status is out the window. Salary is out the window.”

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on his one-year, $10.2 million deal, which he signed to avoid arbitration in 2026. Trent Grisham is on his one-year, $22.025 million deal for this year. Both of them will enter free agency after this year, which means a subpar performance could have a more significant impact on their careers.

Sherman suggested that these two stars might still have a role to play for New York, but they would have to earn it, as little would be guaranteed for them moving forward.