Despite not putting up big numbers at the Minor League level last season, the Yankees have raved about George Lombard Jr. all offseason. The 2023 first-round pick has always had the off-field makeup that the organization loves to have in a top prospect, but the on-field talent has shined even brighter when Lombard Jr. is on a roll. A brilliant defensive shortstop with an ability to do some serious damage on contact, the Yankees believe that George Lombard Jr. can become a five-tool player.
A strong offseason has led to George Lombard Jr. developing some more power and growing into his 6’3 frame a bit more, smashing two homers in the past week that have displayed his raw power output and potential at the plate.
George Lombard Jr. Leaving Incredible Impression on the Yankees in Spring
A 99 wRC+ on the season isn’t great, but George Lombard Jr. was still an incredibly impactful player at the Minor League level due to his excellent glove at a premium position. He recorded a whopping 16.4 Defensive Runs Prevented across multiple infield positions according to Baseball Prospectus, making him the best infield defender in the Yankees’ farm system by a considerable margin.
His poise at shortstop is remarkable, being able to make some sick plays due to his athletic abilities, as George Lombard Jr. was a multi-sport athlete in high school. The baseball IQ that Lombard Jr. possesses is off the charts, this is a controlled and disciplined young man who has impressed the Yankees with a level of maturity that exceeds not just most players, but most people his age.
Lombard managed to swipe 39 bases in 110 games across Single-A and High-A, being caught just nine times, and that kind of speed will play at any level of pro ball. The last piece of the puzzle has been the bat, which lagged behind those elite defensive abilities and blazing speed tools, but the Yankees believe this winter could have been the one where he finally found his stride.
George Lombard Jr. made some minor swing alterations from this time last year, quieter leg kick, lowered hands, and much smoother movement through the zone. pic.twitter.com/s8vhcwRSnf
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) March 4, 2025
Improved swing mechanics could lead to a more consistent 2025 season for George Lombard Jr., as at times he struggled with his swing plane and would either hit the ball into the ground or flat-out whiff. His zone contact rates were near the bottom of the league in Single-A last year, and his .104 ISO is extremely low considering power was supposed to be a part of Lombard’s game.
With these smoother mechanics and some more muscle in his frame, the Yankees believe that George Lombard Jr. is capable of being a real threat at the plate, and the underlying data in his small taste of Spring Training action would indicate the power is legit. He’s averaging a 100.9 MPH exit velocity on batted balls while registering swing speeds approaching 77 MPH.
Last season George Lombard Jr. was already in the 78th Percentile in Damage% at Single-A, if he can improve his raw power by another standard deviation we could be looking at a future star. Power and defense are two tools I’ll always focus on first for a prospect; the ability to hit 20+ HRs in a season while providing Gold Glove defense at a premium position is incredibly valuable, and George Lombard Jr. projects to reach those marks down the road.
He’s still incredibly raw as a prospect; he began last season as an 18-year-old and turned down a commitment to Vanderbilt to sign with the Yankees. If he opted to go to college, he’d be just seven games into his sophomore season, still having another year of collegiate play after 2025 before becoming eligible for the MLB Draft again.
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The Yankees know that George Lombard Jr. could become the face of a new wave of incoming prospects for the organization, as their farm system has declined after a slew of promotions, trades, and injuries. A contender year-in and year-out, Brian Cashman doesn’t opt to rebuild or retool unless absolutely necessary, as he’s fully aware of how random the playoffs can be.
That being said, developing from within is something the Yankees believe they can do, and their track record has improved over the last three years. Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Michael King, Jordan Montgomery, Josh Smith, and Kyle Higashioka have all established themselves as productive big leaguers with successful careers up to this point, and the Yankees are hoping for some more success stories on the way.
Jasson Dominguez and Ben Rice are likely starters on Opening Day for the Yankees, as pitchers such as Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, and Yoendrys Gomez are all battling for roster spots. This doesn’t even count the countless players who have seen their careers take off after being acquired by the Yankees, such as Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver or the players who the team acquired by parting ways with valuable prospects.
The Yankees know what they have with George Lombard Jr. and they’ve been uber-aggressive with his promotions to this point, an indication that they truly believe he’ll become an impact player at the next level. He’ll have every resource made available to him by the organization, and if he takes that next step offensively, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he’s your Opening Day third baseman in 2026.