Jazz Chisholm Jr. is as delightfully idiosyncratic as ballplayers come. But just in case you'd forgotten about that, he pulled up to the Yankees' season opener at Oracle Park with yet more evidence, this time in the form of a set of brand new "One Piece"-inspired cleats.
Probably unrelated to the custom spikes, Chisholm ended up having a busy evening in the Yankees' 7-0 victory over Giants, one that included the first stolen base of the 2026 season. Maybe his own first of 50, if his preseason prediction is anything to go by.
Mic'd up in the bottom of the second in the wake of that stolen base -- again, quite the action-packed nine innings for New York's second baseman -- Chisholm also clarified the thought process behind that bold call for a 50-50 season.
"Why not shoot for the stars and land on the moon, you know what I mean?" he said. "I felt like every time I shoot low, I end up low, so why not shoot high? I'm not going to be out here saying, 'Oh, I'm going to hit 20-20' and then hit 19 homers."
Chisholm's unabashed love of anime has come up before, maybe most notably when he played in the very World Series matchup that pre-empted a "One Piece" series premiere in Japan in 2024. These aren't even Chisholm's first set of "One Piece"-inspired spikes -- there's been plenty of other apparel, too, most notably the chain he broke out for photo day in 2025 -- nor was it the only highly personalized bit of equipment he brought with him to San Francisco. The eagle-eyed viewer might also have noticed his matching glove, which, ironically, featured most prominently on a barehanded catch.
Bonus points for synergy -- the Opening Day tilt was the first Major League Baseball game to stream on Netflix, the company also behind the production of the live action "One Piece" series. Fortunately, Chisholm was not asked for his take on the adaptation live on the air; anime fandom drama is a bit beyond our areas of expertise.