The Yankees drafted shortstop George Lombard Jr. in June 2023, back when he was an extremely toolsy but raw 18-year-old prospect. They chose ceiling over floor, something that they don’t always do, and so far, it’s hard to say they regret their choice.
No, Lombard hasn’t made his MLB debut. He isn’t particularly close to doing so, and it might not happen this year at all. However, it’s easy to feel good about the progress he has made going up through the ranks. The Yankees have to be happy with his ability
to learn and adjust. So far, Lombard has taken a bit to get used to every level he has played in, but sooner or later, he gets going and excels.
Last year, Lombard completely tore up High-A in 24 games, slashing an incredible .329/.495/.488 with a 194 wRC+ in 111 plate appearances to earn his ticket to Double-A. There, he hit .185 with an 86 wRC+ in his first 24 games, but eventually figured out some things and finished the level with a 111 wRC+ in 469 trips to the plate.
This season, Lombard is off to a scintillating start in Double-A, much like it happened last year in High-A. He is slashing a robust .350/.420/.650 with a 172 wRC+, six doubles, four home runs, and three stolen bases in 69 plate appearances before Thursday’s game.
It’s still too early to say if he really mastered Double-A or if pitchers there will eventually find some holes in his swing, but if Lombard keeps this up for a few more weeks or months, he might find himself in Triple-A. Fifteen games are obviously a tiny sample, but the young infielder is looking excellent in Somerset.
He is doing it aided by a swing change: in 2025, his hand placement was higher and closer to his body, but he decided to lower it this year (h/t Ryan García), and it has apparently helped.
Here is a look at his hands last year:
And here’s 2026:
A hitter lowering his hands usually wants to shorten the path to the ball, which can make the swing more compact. It is looking more explosive than ever before.
This doesn’t mean that a longer path and a higher placement don’t work for some prospects, but the idea is to keep things as simple as possible. Sometimes, less is more. And, for Lombard, the lowered hands seem to be working just fine.
It’s important to note that Lombard’s power pace, while impressive, is bound to cool off a bit. He simply won’t continue hitting a home run for every four fly balls. That doesn’t mean there can’t be an improvement there in comparison to the rates he usually runs in that department, between five and eight percent.
He is hitting the ball hard frequently and is showing a very nice batted ball mix, with 31.9 percent line drives, 34 percent ground balls, and 34 percent fly balls. The liners will come down a bit, but as long as he keeps the fly ball percentage up and the ground ball percentage down, he will be fine long-term.
We are talking about a prospect who already has two plus tools: fielding and baserunning/speed. The offensive profile, once very raw, is starting to take shape, and it’s hard not to be excited about Lombard’s ceiling. The floor might not be as high as some top prospects, because he entered the year with a middling .243 batting average and a .376 slugging percentage in the minor leagues. The ceiling, however, is exciting, and it could come with 25 home runs and 40 stolen bases with a high OBP.
Watching him perform and put up huge numbers in Double-A is proof that he belongs in the upper minors. His development has been amazing to watch, and while it is still not finished, it’s easy to imagine him playing games for the Yankees sometime in the next year and a half.
