Is this free agent the perfect fit at 2B for Yankees?

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a free agent, and the Yankees did not make him a qualifying offer as he hits the open market following two-plus seasons with the Bronx Bombers.

That poses the question: Who will play second base for the Yanks in 2027?

There are some potential internal options. Anthony Volpe could stay at the keystone position after he moved over so rookie George Lombard Jr. could play short last season. Other options for second include utility infielders José Caballero and Luis García Jr.

But there is an external option who might be too good to pass up: free-agent second baseman Brandon Lowe, who is coming off a tremendous campaign for the Pirates, both offensively and defensively.

So, why Lowe to bolster the lineup in the Bronx, as opposed to other free agents or the aforementioned internal options? Here are a few reasons why a case for Lowe to New York could be made:

A Judge-less lineup exposed Yanks’ offense … again

More than anything else, Lowe gives the Yanks something they need a lot more of: offense.

On the surface, it might seem New York’s lineup wasn’t bad last season. After all, it generated 223 home runs, which ranked second in the Majors. And overall, it produced a 101 wRC+, which was middle of the pack in 2026.

But if you look under the hood, a problem that has reared its ugly head multiple times over the past few years did so again: Without three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge in there, this team just doesn’t hit much. In fact, from June 1 to Sept. 7 -- more than half the season -- while Judge was sidelined by injury, the Yankees’ team wRC+ was 90; only the Angels ranked below that.

Enter Lowe, who produced an .824 OPS with 35 home runs for the Pirates last season. Yes, he would be another left-handed hitter in a lefty-heavy lineup. But offense is offense, and the Yankees need more from hitters not named Judge or Ben Rice.

Power for the porch

Lowe was a dead-pull hitter when it came to depositing the baseball over the fence last season. Of his 35 homers, 32 were hit to right field. Of his 402 batted balls, a career-high 27.9% were pulled in the air.

Given the configuration of Yankee Stadium, with its famous short porch in right, that’s a very attractive quality.

Had he played all his games at Yankee Stadium, Statcast indicates that Lowe’s expected home run total last season would have been 39. Obviously, a hitter doesn’t play all his games in his home ballpark, but the point stands.

Over the past three seasons, the home run park factor at PNC Park, where Lowe played his home games last season, was 83, ranked 27th in the Majors. Only Dodger Stadium (124) had a higher home run park factor than Yankee Stadium’s 118.

Chisholm, meanwhile, followed up a career year in the power department in 2025 with an underwhelming showing in ’26. After belting 31 homers two seasons ago, he was down to 19 last season, with a .399 slugging percentage. His expected slugging percentage was well below that, at .366 (24th percentile among qualified batters).

Lowe would definitely be an offensive upgrade at second base.

A defensive upgrade, too?

Mike Petriello dove into how Lowe went from a below-average defender at second base to one of the best at the position in 2026. In fact, Lowe tied for the largest turnaround from one year to the next since Statcast began tracking defensive metrics.

In 2025, Lowe finished tied for the worst Statcast fielding run value among second basemen, at -10. In ’26, he finished with the third-highest FRV among second basemen, at +12. He was even nominated as a finalist for the NL Gold Glove Award at the position.

When it comes to defensive metrics, a single stellar season doesn’t make an elite defender. But in Lowe’s case, there is reason to believe this is who he is now in the field, or at least something close to it.

Lowe said that the Pittsburgh coaching staff helped him by having him change his pre-pitch setup to incorporate a bunny hop that widened his stance as he got set, giving him a better jump on batted balls in his direction.

And as Petriello pointed out, injuries and having to play on an unfamiliar home field in 2025 (when Tropicana Field wasn’t playable after a hurricane ripped off its roof) might have contributed to Lowe's defensive struggles.

Chisholm is a good defensive second baseman himself, and last year, he produced the same number of Statcast Outs Above Average as Lowe (+15). The 2026 campaign was Chisholm’s best by that metric, so some regression could be expected from him moving forward.

Lowe would certainly seem to be a viable replacement in the field.

It’s been a long time

Lowe is the most attractive free-agent second baseman on the market. And while there are other options, both externally and internally, the Yankees are entering an 18th year since the last time the proud franchise won a World Series. That is tied for its longest title drought since the acquisition of Babe Ruth in 1919.

Does that consideration push the Yanks to make such a move? Time will tell, but for a club that needs more support around Judge in the lineup as it seeks to capture its 28th championship, it certainly begs the question.