Latest news with #GeorgeLombardJr.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees top pick shifts positions in early Double-A action
It's too soon to project where George Lombard Jr. might ultimately land on the diamond, but the Yankees are already testing out his versatility. The 2023 first-round pick has started games at shortstop, second base, and third in the two weeks since his promotion to Double-A Somerset. The move mirrors the Yankees' broader trend across their system—developing young hitters while stretching their defensive value early. Here's a look at how the Yankees' prospects did last week. Advertisement MINORS MATTERS Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Record: 21-22 (Fifth in the International League East) Up next: Six-game series vs. Nashville begins Tuesday night. Worth watching: Third baseman Jose Rojas became the first RailRiders player in team history to hit three grand slams in a season, each one coming this month. He's hitting .258 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 37 games. Catcher Jesus Rodriguez has reached base in 26 straight games. He was a late scratch Sunday against Toledo but is batting .385 with one homer, 13 RBIs, and 24 runs in 26 games. Veteran catcher Alex Jackson, a .132 hitter in 124 MLB games, is batting .323 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 18 games. New York Yankees top prospect George Lombard, Jr. takes a swing.© Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Double-A Somerset Record: 17-21 (Fourth in the Eastern League Northeast) Up next: Six-game road series at New Hampshire begins Tuesday. Advertisement Worth watching: Center fielder Spencer Jones, out since May 4 with a rib muscle injury, has resumed hitting in the indoor cage and doing on-field defensive drills. He remains day to day. Shortstop George Lombard Jr. has started games at second and third base in recent days while continuing to get reps at short. Since his promotion from High-A Hudson Valley, he's hitting .182 and is 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts through 11 games. Catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores homered in his third straight game Sunday, tying Jones for the Eastern League lead with nine. Flores is batting .304 with 30 RBIs in 38 games. Class-A Hudson Valley Record: 26-12 (Tied for second in South Atlantic League North) Up next: Six-game series at Winston-Salem begins Tuesday. Advertisement Worth watching: Third baseman Parks Harber is hitting .339 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 15 games since his promotion from Single-A Tampa. Right-hander Bryce Cunningham (5-2) owns the league's fifth-lowest ERA at 2.14. Carlos Lagrange leads the circuit with 50 strikeouts. Four Hudson Valley starters have ERAs of 3.45 or better. Class-A Tampa Record: 19-20 (Fifth in Florida State League West) Up next: Six-game series at Dunedin begins Tuesday. Worth watching: Tampa's offense broke out last week, winning five of six against Palm Beach and outscoring the Cardinals 47-16. Third baseman/shortstop Owen Cobb is hitting .447 with three homers and 14 RBIs through his first 14 games. He began the season on Hudson Valley's injured list and was reassigned to Tampa on April 29. Advertisement Left-hander Griffin Herring is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA in seven starts. He's struck out 48 and walked 14 over 38 2/3 innings, ranking second in the league in ERA and strikeouts. Florida Complex League Yankees Record: 5-6 (Third in FCL North) Up next: Home Monday vs. FCL Blue Jays. Worth watching: Right-hander Sunayro Martina is 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA across three games. He's allowed one unearned run and five hits in 9 2/3 innings. Left fielder Isael Arias is hitting .310 with one homer and six RBIs in 10 games. Related: Subway Series Star Backs Out, Leaves Mic and Questions Behind Related: Yankees Players Fill In for Cabrera, Give Bronx Kids a Day to Remember
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baseball America Elevates Yankees Prospect to Top 25 Status
George Lombard Jr. isn't just rising through the New York Yankees' system, he's getting recognized as one of the best young players across all of baseball. The 19-year-old infielder jumped from No. 88 to No. 23 in Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list on Wednesday. The staggering 65-spot leap comes with the magazine's first in-season update of 2025. It recognizes his early-season dominance and growing reputation. New York Yankees infield prospect George Lombard, Nelson-Imagn Images The move came just 24 hours after Lombard made his debut for the Double-A Somerset Patriots, where he went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. Advertisement A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lombard was promoted after a standout stretch with High-A Hudson Valley. He hit .329 with a .496 on-base percentage in 24 games. He impressed the Yankees, including manager Aaron Boone, this spring. "Great head on his shoulders; loves the game, great work ethic, smart heady player," Boone said on Monday. "Over the two years, you've seen him slowly turning into a man and [a] big physical presence.' He's still a teenager, growing into his power and gaining experience in the game. With slugger Spencer Jones having stalled in his development (and now on the injured list), Lombard has jumped to the head of the class. He has clearly established himself as a Yankees top prospect, taking the mantle from Jasson Dominguez. Advertisement Lombard had been one of the most talked-about names in the organization last year, but he only made his debut on the Baseball America Top 100 before this spring. He's made a rapid rise on the radar of national talent evaluators. Now, for Yankees fans excited about the rising young star, Lombard can't climb his way to the big leagues fast enough. Related: Erin Andrews and Alex Rodriguez React to Yankees Legend's Latest Honor Related: Judge Keeps Getting Compared to Bonds, but One Former MVP Pushes Back
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees Push Top Prospect But Not Too Hard
George Lombard Jr. is expected to join Double-A Somerset for Tuesday night's game at Akron. It's the latest promotion for the Yankees' 2023 first-round pick, who could be in position to challenge Anthony Volpe for the starting shortstop role in the Bronx. But not for a couple of years. Advertisement Lombard had a strong season at Class A Hudson Valley, where he hit .329 with a .495 on-base percentage over 24 games. He was 11-for-13 in stolen base attempts and committed just one error (.986 fielding percentage) in 22 games at shortstop. New York Yankees center fielder Spencer JonesKim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images REHABBING DJ DJ LeMahieu played two games at second base for Somerset this weekend after missing three games with a hip injury. He appeared in four games last week after starting the season on the injured list due to a calf injury. Through six rehab games, LeMahieu is hitting .438 (7-for-16) with a home run and three RBIs. His on-base percentage is .500. Jonathan Loáisiga has appeared in three games for Single-A Tampa. The reliever has given up one run and two hits while striking out seven over 3 1/3 innings. Advertisement TRIPLE-A SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE The RailRiders are 16–16, good for fourth place in the International League's East Division. They open a seven-game homestand Tuesday night against Rochester. WORTH WATCHING Considered a light-hitting catcher, Alex Jackson has put together a solid offensive start. He is hitting .289 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 11 games. Jake Woodford appears to be rounding into form after going a season-high 5 2/3 innings Sunday against Syracuse, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. He is 1–1 with a 3.63 ERA over six starts. DOUBLE-A SOMERSET The Patriots are 12–15 and in fourth place in the Eastern League's Northeast Division. Somerset visits Akron for six games beginning Tuesday night. Advertisement WORTH WATCHING Spencer Jones hit his Eastern League-leading ninth home run — an opposite-field shot at 112.8 mph — on Friday night against Richmond. Jones is batting just .228, due in part to 41 strikeouts in 92 at-bats. However, his 20 walks in 26 games have helped lift his on-base percentage to .372. He's also 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts. Catcher Rafael Flores leads the Eastern League with 26 RBIs. He is hitting .292 with six home runs but has struggled at times throwing out baserunners. Brendan Beck is 2–0 with a 0.93 ERA in four starts. He has 19 strikeouts and just three walks over 19 1/3 innings. Advertisement CLASS A HUDSON VALLEY The Renegades are 18–8 and in second place in the North Division of the South Atlantic League. They open a six-game series Tuesday night at Wilmington. WORTH WATCHING Parks Harber was promoted from Single-A Tampa this week and went 6-for-21 (.286) with a home run and three RBIs in his first five games. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (2.25 ERA) and Bryce Cunningham (2.10 ERA) are both 3–1 through five starts. Rodriguez-Cruz has 35 strikeouts in 28 innings, while Cunningham has 34 in 30 innings. CLASS A TAMPA The Tarpons are 11–16 and tied for fifth in the Florida State League's West Division. They begin a six-game series at Daytona on Tuesday night. Advertisement WORTH WATCHING Griffin Herring was named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for April 21–27. The left-hander is 3–1 with a 0.60 ERA over five starts, with 39 strikeouts in 30 innings. Reliever Brady Kirtner is 1–0 with a 1.69 ERA in nine appearances covering 16 innings. FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE YANKEES The rookie-league FCL Yankees lost their season opener 3–1 to the FCL Tigers on Saturday. They play five games this week, beginning Monday against the Tigers, followed by two games each against the FCL Phillies and FCL Blue Jays. Trystan Vrieling struck out seven while allowing one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings Saturday. Reliever Sunayro Martina added six strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Vrieling is on a rehab assignment after going 13–7 with a 4.58 ERA last season for Somerset. Let me know if you'd like this formatted for publication (web/print) or adapted for team notes or social media.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What rival evaluators are saying about Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr.'s hot start
WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — George Lombard Jr. tagged up at third base, raced toward home and slid head first. The throw was in time, and the catcher tagged him on the lower back just before he could slip his left hand over the plate. Lombard got up and argued with the umpire, seemingly trying to plead his case that the catcher had been blocking his path to home plate. He was irritated, a change from his typically cool demeanor. But the inning was over, and soon he accepted the decision and walked back to play shortstop. Advertisement The moment appeared to be an example of what a rival executive had said about the top New York Yankees' prospect not long before. 'He looks bigger, faster (and) stronger, and he's playing with more of an edge — in a good way,' the executive said. Other rival evaluators heaped similar praise on the 19-year-old Lombard, the Yankees' top prospect who has had a hot start at High-A Hudson Valley and could be in the major-league starting infield by next season. 'More confident, stands straighter,' one evaluator said. 'Looks like he has a plan for when he goes up there. There's a presence to him — you already know he was a high pick, but then he shows you (why).' 'He's not going to be (at High A) for long,' another said. Easy standup double for top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. in the first inning here in Hudson Valley. — Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) April 30, 2025 Lombard has hit .306 with a home run, eight RBIs, 11 steals and a .939 OPS through his first 22 games. The performance has come after he turned heads in major-league spring training with impressive exit velocities and poise. But it would likely be asking too much for Lombard to help in the majors this season, even in September, according to several Yankees officials and outside evaluators polled by The Athletic. That's despite the Yankees needing a righty-hitting complement to Oswaldo Cabrera at third base. Cabrera is a switch-hitter, but he's better from the left side. One Yankees official pointed to his age and relative inexperience (145 minor-league games) and said it would probably be 'unfair' to expect him to contribute to a potential World Series contender so soon. The Yankees drafted him 26th in 2023 out of Gulliver Preparatory School in Pinecrest, Fla., giving him a $3.3 million signing bonus. His father, George Lombard Sr., is the Detroit Tigers' bench coach and played six years in the majors. Advertisement The Yankees would need a 'Godfather' offer if a team wants to trade for him at the deadline. One rival evaluator said he believes Lombard is the Yankees' only untouchable prospect. Outfielder Jasson Domínguez and Lombard each appeared mostly off-limits last year, too, the evaluator said. Lombard, who is bilingual, said he's felt more comfortable this season at High A than he did after making a cameo there late last season. Part of his increased pop at the plate has come from getting into the gym. 'Definitely put on some weight, that's for sure,' Lombard told The Athletic early Wednesday morning. 'But I think a lot of it comes with the more experience I get offensively. I'm able to control at-bats more, get my swing off more often. When you're in better counts, obviously, you get better pitches.' Lombard's best memories of his first major-league spring training were the times he spent working defensively with Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Andrew Velazquez, and the conversations he had with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Dominic Smith. He said he spoke with Stanton about moving quickly through the minor leagues with the Miami Marlins and 'dealing with failure.' He added that Stanton told him he didn't have his everyday routine in the majors figured out until he was a veteran. 'He's been there, done that for a long time,' Lombard said of Stanton. 'He was a big prospect coming up. Got to the league at a young age and had some really good years. He's been through all the ups and downs. He's a guy that you can kind of ask about anything and he'll have a good answer for you, and he's a great leader. His mentality is as good as anyone in the game, I would think, and how he goes about his business. You can learn a lot from.' James Cooper, Hudson Valley's manager, said it was clear that Lombard spent his childhood around big-league clubhouses from his poise. He added that he's a 'lead-by-example and a vocal' leader. Advertisement 'When you're drafted as early as he's drafted,' Cooper said, 'some guys already give you that kind of respect. But he's a guy who's gone out and earned it.' Cooper added that the plan for Lombard was to still give him some reps at third base and second base. 'There are lessons that the baseball player can learn and see how the field rotates from short to second, from second to third and things of that nature,' he said. 'We also believe he's a true shortstop. But we think there are lessons he can learn at third and second that can also make him a better shortstop.' Lombard posted just a .693 OPS in 81 games at Low-A Tampa last year before getting promoted to High A, but that was likely because he was young and needed time to adjust from playing in the complex league, Cooper said. 'If you look at his lower half, you can tell maybe he did some extra lower body workouts this past offseason,' the manager said. 'He's filling those pants out. He's finding himself in good counts, and he's not missing his pitch right now. When you look at how minor-league baseball has changed over the years, where you had that short-season level where guys would go before Low A, they don't have that anymore. When you're drafted out of high school, you go to the complex, and then you go straight to Low A. There's not really a buffer to get you ready. Low A is a little bit tougher now than what it used to be, and I think he's had a chance to catch up to it. As you can see, he's doing pretty well in High A.'
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yankees' 19-year-old top prospect George Lombard Jr. has sights set on the Bronx
Yankees' 19-year-old top prospect George Lombard Jr. has sights set on the Bronx WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — It wasn't too long ago that the Hudson Valley Renegades featured a bright, young, and immensely talented shortstop ticketed for stardom with the squad's parent club: the New York Yankees. That was in 2021, and that player is now a mainstay in the Yanks lineup. The High-A affiliate for the Bronx Bombers is currently led by a player with a very similar profile, 19-year-old George Lombard Jr. Lombard Jr. was a first-round pick in 2023 and has soared up prospect ranking boards, including which currently has the son of a former major league player and current Detroit Tigers bench coach, as the Yankees' top prospect. The slick-fielding, bilingual (his mother is of Cuban descent) Lombard Jr. may soon be on a collision course with Anthony Volpe, that ex-Renegade shortstop who popped 15 home runs in 213 at bats in '21, for the coveted shortstop position in New York. It may be premature to envision a competition there, but that enviable 'problem' may also become moot thanks to Lombard Jr.'s versatility. 'I've played shortstop my whole life; I love playing shortstop, but I pride myself on being a good baseball player,' Lombard Jr. told USA TODAY Sports. 'I've never played outfield before, but I am confident that if I had to go play outfield tomorrow, I could figure it out.' Lombard Jr. can also play other infield positions – having already seen time at second and third this year. 'We drafted him as a shortstop. I think that is probably where he stays, (but) you never know with this game,' said Renegades manager James Cooper. 'George is a baseball player. If he had to be a catcher, he could be a catcher. If he had to be a center-fielder, he'd be a center-fielder.' While there may be some discussion regarding his future position, the South Florida native, who according to Cooper, 'got after it in the weight room,' is eliminating all questioning regarding his performance at the plate. 'He's a lot stronger,' said Tom DeAngelis, the Renegades' hitting coach. 'He's hitting the ball really well; he's making great decisions.' The strength and know-how have translated into strong numbers early on. Lombard Jr.'s exit velocity has clocked in at over 110 mph, and he's batting .306 with nine steals, 20 walks to 18 strikeouts and a .956 OPS entering Monday. It amounts to a great deal of optimism from both Yankees fans, and those who witness his prowess each day. 'In terms of his potential at the plate – it's really staggering,' said Joe Vasile, Hudson Valley's play-by-play broadcaster. 'What I have been so impressed with is his natural power to right field and to right-centerfield. And, I think in Yankee Stadium that's the kind of thing that could make him(a) 25-30 home run per year guy.' While the youngster continues to garner accolades, including receiving a huge compliment from Aaron Judge during spring training, Lombard Jr. is similar to most teenagers. He loves sushi, pizza, and the tacos at Hudson Taco, listens to hip hop, reggae, Spanish music, and Salsa, and especially enjoys performers including J. Cole, old school New York rappers, and Celia Cruz. But it's his maturity that makes Lombard Jr., who turns 20 on June 2, so unique. During a recent interview with USA TODAY Sports, Lombard Jr. mentioned multiple times that he is 'staying where my feet are and staying present.' Not an easy task for someone so young and talented, and for a player with such lofty expectations. 'He never looks like he's out of control on the field,' said Vasile. 'He never looks like he's overly emotional; just kind of cool, calm, and collected all of the time. And he's very much the same off the field too.' According to Lombard Jr., that ability to be laser focused on the task at hand is a direct reflection on the tutelage he was provided by his parents. 'I give a lot of that credit to my dad and my mom too,' said Lombard Jr. 'She probably doesn't get as much credit as she deserves – probably never will. She has just been such a staple in my life.' His father George Lombard Sr. played 144 MLB games from 1998-2006 with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals before beginning his coaching career, serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers' first-base coach from 2016-2020 and Detroit's bench coach since 2021. The younger Lombard's ability to excel on the field, serve as a team leader, and expertly handle the attention - all at such a young age, has impressed just about everyone he's come in contact with this season – including his teammates. 'It's unbelievable,' said Renegades infielder Jose Colmenares. 'This guy is out of this planet.' The Renegades season began a few short weeks ago, but if Lombard Jr. continues the trajectory he's been on, there soon may be calls to promote him to Double-A Somerset. But while Lombard Jr. says a callup to Somerset this season would be 'great,' the eventual goal is to play at what legendary sports talk show host Art Rust Jr. called, 'the big ball orchard in the South Bronx.' The timetable for that is fluid, but if the opportunity does present itself, Lombard Jr. knows it will be memorable for numerous reasons, including the famous 'Roll Call' chant initiated by the 'Bleacher Creatures'. 'It's a special feeling – that energy, the passion,' said Lombard Jr. 'I can't speak from experience, but from what I've heard it's something that you feel deep down and it sticks with you. I couldn't tell you how it's going to feel, but I can tell you that I would be pumped for it and really excited to get there one day.' 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