Yankees Prized Infield Prospect Receives Phenomenal New Ranking

Phenomenal is a good way to describe the rise of New York Yankees prized shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr.

Earlier this week the Yankees promoted him from High-A Hudson Valley to Double-A Somerset. The move ensures that Lombard will play for at least two affiliates in each of his three pro seasons.

But it also shows just how quickly he’s rising through the system and in the eyes of pro scouts and analysts.

This week Baseball America re-ranked its Top 100 prospects for the first time this season and Lombard was the only Yankee to make the list. Former Top 100 prospect Jasson Dominguez, now with the Yankees, graduated.

Prospects are only eligible if they have not exceeded 130 MLB at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 30 pitching appearances.

Explaining Lombard’s Sharp Rise

Lombard was No. 36 in the Top 100 when it was released for the preseason. He moved up 13 spots to No. 23, which represented one of the largest jumps of any Top 100 prospect in the first update.

Part of that surge can be explained by his great start this season.

In 24 games with Hudson Valley, he slashed .329/.495/.488 with one home run and 13 RBI. That was enough for New York, which promoted him. Now, in just three games with Somerset he is batting under .100, but it’s not uncommon for a prospect to struggle after a promotion.

But he had clearly mastered High-A pitching, based on his performance last year. Between Class-A Tampa and Hudson Valley he slashed .231/.338/.334 with five home runs and 45 RBI. The slash in 29 games at Hudson Valley fell to .226/.321/.296.

Part of his value is on the basepaths, where he stole 39 bases last year and he’s already stolen 11.

As a first-year pro in 2023, he slashed .311/.466/.356 with the Yankees’ Florida Complex League team and Tampa.

New York isn’t looking to push him too fast. He was their first-round pick in 2023 out of Gulliver Prep in Miami, Fla., and has Major League bloodlines. His father, George Sr., played nearly a decade in the Majors and is now a coach with the Detroit Tigers. With the Los Angeles Dodgers, he won a World Series ring as a coach.

Lombard hopes to contribute to a Yankees World Series title one day. But at 19 years old, he may be a few years away from doing so.