Marlins use No. 14 pick to draft latest standout from Lombard baseball family

With the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Marlins selected shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep HS (Fla.).

Baseball runs in Lombard’s genes. His father, George, was a Major League outfielder for six seasons. His older brother, George Jr., is the No. 20 prospect in MLB and No. 1 in the Yankees’ system.

However, Jacob Lombard might be the best ballplayer in the family. MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Draft prospect, the youngest Lombard is a 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter with enough pop in his quick bat and enough juice in his legs to pull off a 30-homer, 30-steal season, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. His power and run grades are 60 or better, and he has the skills and baseball IQ to develop into a plus hitter as well.

• Get to know No. 5 Draft prospect Jacob Lombard

For that to happen, Lombard will need to cut down on his swing-and-miss tendencies. Pitchers in showcase events last summer exploited him with fastballs up in the zone. According to The Athletic’s Keith Law, Lombard had a 39% whiff rate during tracked showcase events in 2025.

While there is some question about Lombard’s overall feel for hitting, there is no debate about his defense. He has everything one needs to play shortstop for a long time, just like his favorite player, the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. Lombard possesses outstanding athleticism, thanks in part to an upbringing that saw him play multiple sports, including football and soccer, which he has said was his first love. He also spent two years in gymnastics.

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If everything comes together, Lombard possesses true superstar potential. And he can’t wait for the day when he gets to show it off on the same big league field as his brother. In fact, he said during a recent interview on the MLB Pipeline Podcast that he thinks about playing with George Jr. in the Majors every day.

“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. “That is something I smile about going to bed every single night.”