NEW YORK -- There was no consolation to be had on Wednesday night in the immediate aftermath of another gutting postseason defeat. The standard is the standard in the Bronx, and a Division Series loss falls short of the standard.
But it’s hard to ignore that there was still a glimmer in the 4-3 loss in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Rays and through New York’s brief stint in this year’s postseason. There’s a very intriguing young core here, and the newest faces had two of the best games in the Yankees’ season finale.
Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. collected a pair of singles, drew a walk and played highlight-reel defense, and rookie outfielder Spencer Jones walked twice and drove in a run with a double to right field. In a huge game, with all eyes on them, they looked very much like they belonged.
“It’s impressive,” said Yankees superstar and captain Aaron Judge, who was sidelined with a calf injury. “Watching both these guys, the way they work and prepare, they’re going to have a bright future here. Getting their feet wet in the postseason a little bit is only going to help them grow.”
They’re not the only ones, either. Slugger Ben Rice is in his second full season, as is Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler. That’s a nice core to build off of.
“The young guys here did great,” said veteran slugger Paul Goldschmidt. “They’ve got [great heads] on their shoulders. Very talented physically, but also mentally, they know what they’re doing, and they’ve done a great job. Without those guys, we wouldn’t be here right now. The future’s bright for them individually, and I think for this organization, too.”
Lombard, 21, hit .237/.285/.414 after beginning the year at Double-A. His defensive numbers were mixed, but the tools are unmistakable, as was obvious from the multiple sharp plays he made on Wednesday. Jones, 25, posted a .245/.313/.429 line with 11 homers and 10 steals, and his opposite-field double on a ball he golfed demonstrated his tremendous strength.
“It’s an incredible year both those guys had,” Judge said. “Especially Spence, coming up a couple times, got sent back down, come up a little bit better, sent back down, comes up. Seeing him grow with every opportunity he got was really special, fun to see. He’s going to be an incredible player in this league for many years. And same with Georgie. Comes up, thrown right into the fire, starting shortstop.”
They even know the right things to say. Jones acknowledged he has plenty to work on, and did not sound at all satisfied with his first season individually or how it ended for the team.
“I struck out a million times this year,” he said. “I feel like I didn’t help the team in certain contexts that way. I think defensively I can get better. I can get faster. And then the mental side of the game. Leaning on the resources we have here and making sure that I’m the best competitor when the season starts next year to help us win baseball games and uphold the standard of what it means to play in New York.”
Rest assured, though, no one around them is complaining.
“Yeah, Spencer I thought had a couple really good at-bats tonight,” said manager Aaron Boone. “George the same. I feel like the last few weeks [he] has really had a lot of good at-bats and turned in some really nice plays tonight. …
“I could go on and on with things that are really exciting and promising for the future, and hopefully we can continue to grow those things.”