The Miami Marlins made their decision official on Sunday afternoon. General manager Kim Ng announced that Chisholm will be at second in a decision over Diaz

By Joe Frisaro @ManOn2nd

JUPITER, Fla. — The biggest question at Miami Marlins Spring Training has been answered.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be the club’s starting second baseman on Opening Day, and Isan Diaz will start off at Triple-A Jacksonville.

General manager Kim Ng made the announcement during the seventh inning on the Marlins’ Radio Network during the club’s game against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Chisholm had picked up the pace in recent weeks, and separated himself from Diaz, who entered Spring Training as perhaps a slight favorite based on his previous big league experience.

Manager Don Mattingly, in the office with Ng, informed Chisholm that second base was his about five minutes before the Marlins wrapped up their Grapefruit League schedule with a 10-2 win over the New York Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

“I was really kind of jumpy during the game,” Chisholm said during a Zoom interview.

Even though he was in a “competition” for the second base job, Chisholm remained loose throughout camp.

“I used this Spring Training like how the veterans use Spring Training,” Chisholm said. “I talked to the veterans every day. Hitting. Defense. Baserunning. Every day, I go to them and I ask them a new question. We’ve got a lot of guys who have proven themselves in the big leagues on this team, like Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar, Starling Marte. And you’ve got a Hall of Famer as your owner [Derek Jeter]. If he’s around, you can pick his brain. I picked everybody’s brain any way I can, and I tried to add it to my game.”

Interestingly, Chisholm focused more on self-improvement, rather than get caught up in the second-base competition.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the job, essentially,” Chisholm said. “I’m going out there and I’m a competitor every time I go on the field. I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to try to help my team to win. At the same time, I was really thinking about how I can get better, so I can help the team win, when they need me.”

Chisholm is the more dynamic player, being able to play shortstop and second base. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter possesses great speed, and has power potential. He can impact the game in more ways, with his legs and bat.

"He has great speed," Ng said. "He's a really exciting player, and I think he adds a lot to our lineup. So, we're really excited about that."

Chisholm finished Spring Training hitting .268 with three homers and four stolen bases. Diaz had a rough spring, based on his numbers, hitting .059 with two RBIs. He was hitless in his final 24 at-bats of Grapefruit League play.

"Isan is still a very good player," Ng said. "[He will] go down to Triple-A, and just get ready for when that call comes."

The Marlins basically tipped their hand on this decision when the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League finale was made. Chisholm started at second, where he will be the double play partner with shortstop Miguel Rojas. 

Also on Sunday, Chisholm's name was logged differently on the Marlins' roster page on Marlins.com. It lists his full name, Jasrado Chisholm Jr. He was introduced by the stadium announcer as Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

Along with Chisholm, the Marlins also have utility infielder Jon Berti as a right-handed hitting option at second base.