Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. continues to impress
The Yankees' George Lombard Jr. hits a home run in the third inning of a spring training game against the Houston Astros at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
LOS ANGELES — No prospect in Yankees camp had rival scouts salivating more during spring training than shortstop George Lombard Jr.
The same can be said two months into the minor-league season.
“By far the best prospect in their system,” a National League scout assigned to the Yankees said recently by phone.
“To me, he’s a young Carlos Correa,” said one American League scout assigned to the Yankees’ minor-league affiliates. “That’s who I feel I’m looking at.”
That's high praise for Lombard (who will turn 20 Monday), the club’s first-round pick (26th overall) in 2023. Correa won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2015, was a cornerstone of the 2017 World Series-winning Astros and is a three-time All-Star.
The players have similar physical profiles as Correa is 6-3 and 220 pounds and Lombard already is a chiseled 6-2 and 190 pounds.
Lombard started the season with High-A Hudson Valley and, after hitting .329 with a .983 OPS in 24 games, earned a quick promotion to Double-A Somerset. The numbers haven’t been as impressive there — a .211 batting average and .623 OPS — but multiple scouts who have seen Lombard with Somerset, including the two aforementioned ones, said that is not a concern.
“There’s always an adjustment when guys come up to Double-A,” a second AL scout said. “You saw that with [Anthony] Volpe, you saw it with [Aaron] Judge before that. Don’t even look at the batting average. He’s going to be fine. I don’t care if he hits .100 the next two months. Just let him go play.”
The first AL scout not only praised the “plus arm” and “plus accuracy” Lombard has shown in the field — he has played primarily short but also some third and second — but the young player's “professionalism.”
That is something that was noticed by Yankees veterans when it came to Lombard, the son of former big-leaguer George Lombard, in spring training when he was in the major-league camp for the first time.
“He interacts easily with teammates, gets to stretching on time. He does everything a professional should do,” the first AL scout said. “You don’t have to look for it, you just see it. That’s a reflection of growing up around a major-league clubhouse and knowing what everything looks and feels like. He’s just fun to watch. He does it the way a professional should do it.”
The NL scout said he sees a “strong possibility” that Lombard will make Triple-A by season’s end.
“And,” he continued, “I’m confident he’ll be the big leagues next year.”
Extra bases
Fernando Cruz, on the injured list since May 22 (retroactive to May 19) with right shoulder inflammation, threw a one-inning simulated game Saturday.
“I feel ready,” said Cruz, who believes he’ll be able to come off the IL on the first day he’s eligible, which is Tuesday. "No pain, no discomfort.”
Marcus Stroman, on the IL since April 12 with left knee inflammation, threw a two-inning simulated game Saturday.
“Stro looked sharp,” Aaron Boone said. “Liked what I saw. All his stuff looked good . . . We’ll see how he continues to respond, see how tomorrow goes, but today was another good step.”
There remains no timeline for Stroman's return.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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