Yankees' George Lombard: Not overmatched at Double-A
Rotowire
Lombard is slashing .215/.336/.362 with eight home runs, 22 steals, a 13.5 percent walk rate and a 26 percent strikeout rate in 102 games for Double-A Somerset.
The third-youngest qualified hitter at Double-A (behind Sebastian Walcott and Nelson Rada), Lombard makes for a tough evaluation, as his youth can generally be used to explain away his shortcomings. He is a career .236 hitter with a career .359 OBP, and he's managed 14 home runs in 250 career games while always being one of the youngest players in his league. Getting the ball in the air isn't a problem for Lombard, and his 39 percent groundball rate and 44.9 percent pull rate are encouraging marks. The passage of time could lead to Lombard naturally accessing significantly more power in a year or two as his body matures, and he's a no-doubt shortstop with above-average speed and on-base ability. The righty-hitting Lombard could get another aggressive assignment to Triple-A next year before turning 21 in June.
The Yankees promoted Lombard from High-A Hudson Valley to Double-A Somerset on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Lombard earned the bump up to Double-A after slashing .329/.495/.488 with one home run, 11 stolen bases and a 21.9 percent walk rate over 111 plate appearances for Hudson Valley. The 19-year-old shortstop is considered to be among the top prospects in the Yankees organization, with his advanced plate approach being his most appealing trait.
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Yankees' George Lombard: Starting 2025 in minors
Rotowire
The Yankees reassigned Lombard to minor-league camp Monday.
Lombard appeared in 10 spring games for the Yankees and went 5-for-19 with one walk, two home runs and four RBI. He spent most of the 2024 regular season in Single-A Tampa, but the 19-year-old should have an opportunity to ascend to Double-A ball as long as he continues to develop his game.
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Yankees' George Lombard: Turning heads this spring
Rotowire
Through seven Grapefruit League games, Lombard has gone 3-for-11 with two home runs, three runs and three RBI.
Lombard was invited to big-league spring training despite having yet to rise above the High-A level, and he's making the most of the opportunity. The 19-year-old hit his second long ball of the spring Monday, launching a shot to left-center field in the eighth inning against the Pirates. Lombard isn't a realistic candidate to make the Opening Day roster, but he's one of New York's top prospects and could advance to Double-A ball this year if he continues to take positive steps in his development.
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Yankees' George Lombard: Invited to MLB spring training
Rotowire
The Yankees have invited Lombard to major-league spring training.
Lombard, who was a first-round draft pick by New York in 2023, isn't expected to have a legitimate chance of breaking camp with the big club, but he'll gain some valuable experience by rubbing elbows with major-leaguers during camp. The shortstop spent most of 2024 in High-A ball, recording a .235/.351/.355 slash line with five home runs, 38 RBI, 46 runs and 31 steals in 35 attempts over 365 plate appearances. Lombard is likely at least a couple years away from reaching the majors, though he could be bumped up to the Double-A level at some point during the coming season.
Yankees' George Lombard: Finding groove at Single-A
Rotowire
Lombard is slashing .271/.364/.500 with four home runs and 11 steals over his last 25 games for Single-A Tampa.
He hit .225 with zero home runs over his first 46 games this season and was a bit too passive, but something has clicked of late for the toolsy shortstop. Lombard, the Yankees' first-round pick in 2023, is a plus runner and excellent overall athlete, so if he can continue to get to his above-average raw power in games, he should keep climbing up prospect rankings.
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