Yanks confident Lombard's bat will catch up to MLB-ready glove

BRADENTON, Fla. – When the Yankees watch George Lombard Jr., they see someone ready to play defense in the big leagues. The Yankees’ top prospect has the arm, instincts and range to prevent runs right now.

The Bombers are content to wait on the rest of the package. They view this as a key development season for Lombard, who turns 21 in June and is rated as baseball’s No. 32 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.

“I feel like I’m blessed to be in that situation, where I have those expectations and goals to meet,” Lombard said before the Yankees' 6-2 win over the Pirates on Monday at LECOM Park. “I really just try to block that out. I acknowledge the situation that I’m in, and then just focus on my work and let those things figure themselves out.”

The 26th overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lombard is in his second big league camp. He began last season with High-A Hudson Valley, where he slashed .329/.495/.488 with eight doubles and 11 stolen bases in 111 plate appearances before earning promotion to Double-A Somerset.

Lombard managed a .215/.337/.358 slash line in 469 plate appearances there, with 24 doubles, eight homers and 24 stolen bases. Though his production dipped against more experienced competition, the organization wasn’t alarmed. Lombard is expected to open the upcoming season back in Double-A.

“Under the hood, he was much better than the surface stuff,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “[Our analysts] even had him hitting a bunch of home runs with a Major League ball. For whatever reason, in Double-A it’s a little different.”

Lombard acknowledged the adjustment was real.

“That’s one of the bigger jumps in the Minor Leagues, playing in the Eastern League and facing guys that are a little bit older and know what they’re doing,” Lombard said. “The game is a little cleaner, a little quicker.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has described Lombard as an “exciting, high-ceiling talent,” noting that he “could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side.”

Boone praised Lombard’s “consistently great work habits,” describing him as “all about baseball.” Much of that can be attributed to Lombard’s upbringing: His father, former Major League outfielder George Lombard Sr., is currently the Tigers’ bench coach.

“It helped me a ton,” Lombard said. “From when I was really young, being around the game and being familiar with it – and now going through the process, having someone that I can lean on, someone that knows how it works – I’m always grateful for that.”

Physically, Lombard looks the part. A year ago, he arrived in camp 15 pounds heavier – listed at 6-foot-3 and roughly 205 pounds – and much of it was muscle. Boone said that added strength continues to show up this spring.

“You walk up around him and he’s really physical,” Boone said. “He runs really well. You see him move in the field; he’s made a couple of plays that are really good, but almost easy because he’s so physical.”

That athleticism was shaped in part by soccer. Lombard was an elite state championship soccer player at Gulliver Prep in Pinecrest, Fla., before committing fully to baseball.

“The cross-training helped me a ton,” Lombard said. “Mentally, too, just having another group of friends in my circle and every now and then getting a break from baseball to focus on soccer and competing. I always loved it. In high school, I had big jumps athletically, and I think a factor of that was playing soccer.”

Boone said Lombard has shown “real signs of controlling the strike zone and having the ability to impact the ball.” The next step is having those translate into more hits and RBIs – first at Double-A, then eventually in the Bronx.

“I’m refining my approach with every at-bat,” Lombard said. “I think the most important part is just competing, having competitive at-bats and not giving any free ones away.”