Jones, Lombard learning (and growing) together on baseball's biggest stage

ST. PETERSBURG -- Spencer Jones was staring into the future; at least, that’s what it looked like one afternoon in late July. The Yankees rookie outfielder sat in front of his locker, one foot raised, contemplating how he might remember this season five years down the road.

“I think I’m going to remember the first times experiencing things; first times in new ballparks, facing good teams, having success, having failures,” Jones said then. “Who knows what things are going to look like in five years? But I know I’ll be proud of what happened this year.”

The Yankees already are. Jones and shortstop George Lombard Jr. are taking advantage of their opportunities for extended playing time, now experiencing the thrills of postseason baseball side by side.

As they celebrated a sweep of the Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series, Lombard poured sparkling wine over Jones’ head, saying that one key to his early success has been to “just go off [Jones’] trademark phrase -- just be a chill bird.”

With Aaron Judge unavailable, the Yankees are getting an accelerated glimpse of what their next wave could look like. Jones and Lombard have added to a developing mix headlined by right-hander Cam Schlittler, who will likely win the AL Cy Young Award, and Ben Rice, who hit a career-high 41 homers.

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“The goal is to be a Yankee forever when you get drafted by them,” Schlittler said. “I know the guys are determined to meet that end goal. They take it day by day, and are going to put the work in to have success out on the field.”

Lombard and Jones both factored into the sweep of the Red Sox. After Lombard stroked three hits in Game 1, Jones alertly raced to first base after a sixth-inning strikeout in Game 2, reaching on a wild pitch. He stole second base and Lombard knocked him in with a single, sparking a six-run inning.

“I was always told that if you run hard, good things are going to happen,” Jones said.

The Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-7 Jones was once advertised as a potential left-handed version of Judge. Grappling with high strikeout rates in the Minors, the 25-year-old revamped his swing this year, incorporating a stance that carries more than a hint of Shohei Ohtani.​

“One thing that stood out is his ability to have a plan going into the game and being able to adjust,” manager Aaron Boone said of Jones. “I feel he’s got a really good grasp on who he is as a player. He’s got some moxie. He’s got that easy-going Southern California thing about him that I think serves him well.”

Lombard’s ascent has been more direct. The club’s first-rounder in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lombard opened this season with Double-A Somerset, earning promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the 21-year-old took over as the Yankees’ starting shortstop in early August.

“George and I have known each other forever,” Jones said. “This is what we were thinking about when we were playing on the Himes back fields together [in Tampa, Fla.]. Now to be here and be part of the team, to help with some wins -- it’s been incredible for us.”

Lombard homered in his debut, and though he endured an uncharacteristic streak of six consecutive games with an error, Lombard reclaimed his sure-handed reputation going into the postseason.

“To come up through the system means a lot,” Lombard said. “And it’s cool to show we can play on the biggest stage.”

Boone credits Lombard’s maturity, noting that the son of Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr. has been around the game all his life.

“He’s just got a great head on his shoulders, a really good routine,” Boone said. “He loves the game, which I think is always important. He loves the stuff that’s not sexy -- the behind-the-scenes grind, the routine, coupled with being a very talented player.”

Beyond the box scores, having rookies shine on the postseason stage creates a ripple effect throughout the organization. Jones acknowledged Damon Oppenheimer, the club’s vice president of domestic amateur scouting, who was responsible for both picks.

“I know he’s proud of us,” Jones said.

And Boone pointed to Kevin Reese, the vice president of player development, who oversaw a farm system that fueled their rise.

“They deserve a ton of credit,” Boone said. “In a season where we’ve been beat up and banged up, we’ve had answers.”

Ultimately, when the Yankees look back in five years, they may point to this as a time the pipeline produced a championship core. With Jones, Lombard, Rice and Schlittler on board, the future suddenly doesn’t seem all that far away.

“We know this is just the beginning of the postseason run, and our careers,” Jones said. “We’re having a great time, but we’re focused on what’s ahead.”