Get to know No. 5 Draft prospect Jacob Lombard

Here is everything you need to know about shortstop Jacob Lombard, who is one of the top prospects in the 2026 MLB Draft.

FAST FACTS

MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 5
Position: SS
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 195 lbs.
Bats/throws: R/R
Age: 18 (Born Sept. 27, 2007)
School: Gulliver Prep HS (FL)

MLB PIPELINE SCOUTING GRADES (20-to-80 scale)

Hit: 55
Power: 60
Run: 65
Arm: 50
Field: 55
Overall: 60

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. He may be better than his Major League father -- and top-prospect brother
Much like recent highly drafted shortstops such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Jackson Holliday, Lombard grew up in a baseball family. His father, George Sr., was a second-round pick by the Braves in the 1994 Draft and played six big league seasons. His older brother, George Jr., was a first-round Draft pick in 2023 and is now the Yankees' No. 1 prospect.

Jacob, however, could be the best ballplayer in the family. George Sr. retired with eight career homers, 23 stolen bases and a .621 OPS. George Jr. has 55-grade power and speed, but Jacob has 60-grade power and 65-grade speed. As MLB.com's Jim Callis wrote in May, Jacob has more raw power, speed and physicality than his older brother did when he was 18. Callis added that while George Jr. could be a 20-homer, 20-steal player, Jacob has 30-30 talent.

2. Soccer was his first love
There might be an alternate universe out there where Jacob is training to become a World Cup-level soccer star.

"The beautiful game" was the first sport that his mom, Judy, played. George Sr. played it a little as well growing up, and Jacob and George Jr. shared the pitch as teammates while at Gulliver Prep.

"I always loved soccer even more than baseball from the start," Jacob said last year.

However, his love of baseball began to grow when he was 8 or 9 years old, and he would tag along with his father to stadiums while George Sr. served as the Dodgers' first-base coach.

"It was during that time where I’m like, ‘Hey, this is definitely what I want to do when I’m older,'" Jacob said during an interview on the MLB Pipeline Podcast.

3. He dreams about playing in the Majors with his brother
Be it in soccer, football, ping-pong or, of course, baseball, Jacob and George Jr. have competed alongside and against each other their entire lives. And Jacob can't wait until the time comes when he and his brother are on an MLB field together. In fact, he says he thinks about it every night.

"I’m thinking so far ahead in terms of a possibility of playing with my brother, hitting a home run and rounding second and smiling at him while he’s at shortstop," Jacob said on the MLB Pipeline Podcast. "That is something I smile about going to bed every single night.”

• Brothers as teammates in MLB history

4. His favorite players are ...
It may not surprise you to find out that the two players Lombard likes to watch most in the Majors are shortstops just like him. His very favorite player is the aforementioned Witt, whom Lombard got to meet while spending some time with Team USA during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (George Sr. was USA's first-base coach).

"I've always looked up to him as a person and as a player," Jacob said of the Royals' star. "I think we have a lot of comparable aspects. He's a pretty fantastic human being."

The second shortstop may not be the most obvious name: Rays defensive wizard Taylor Walls.

"What he can do defensively on the field is pretty incredible," Lombard said on the Over-Slot Podcast. "It's unbelievable. My dad, I think, sends me a new video of Taylor Walls -- whether it's pre-pitch, a defensive play, something pretty awesome -- he sends me a video every single day in the chat with me and my brother."

5. He wants to learn how to play the keyboard
When he's not focused on playing baseball, Lombard likes to play music. Specifically, he said he's starting to learn how to play the keyboard. Perhaps he took some inspiration from acclaimed singer and pianist John Legend, whom Lombard saw perform at Dodger Stadium in 2018. He told the Over-Slot Podcast that was the best concert he has attended.