New York Yankees fans are already familiar with the name George Lombard Jr. The 20-year-old shortstop prospect is one of the New York Yankees’ top prospects and a consensus top-50 prospect in baseball.
After Wednesday, Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet will also remember Lombard’s name.
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Crochet gave up just two hits in 2.2 innings in a spring training game against the Yankees on Wednesday. Both came into Lombard hands. He led off the game with a home run in the first inning, and a hit in the third inning sent the bat down to 108.5 mph.
It’s no wonder Lombard went 2-for-2 in spring training. It’s impressive that he did that against Crochet, a two-time All-Star who finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting last year. The specter of spring added to the game between the Yankees and Red Sox did no harm.
Lombard’s performance was enough to have some speculating whether he might unseat incumbent shortstop Anthony Volpe in 2026.
Volpe, still just 24 years old, is a good defender with a questionable bat. He hit .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs in 2025, but had an OPS+ (an overall stat where 100 is league average) of just 83. In three MLB seasons, he hit .222 with limited on-base ability (.283 on-base percentage).
Volpe is still recovering from a partially torn shoulder labrum that required surgery last year. It’s reasonable to assume that injuries will take away some of his ability at the plate in 2025. His ability to recover raises questions about what kind of hitter he will be upon his return.
The Yankees are ready to sign veteran Jose Caballero as their Opening Day shortstop. But Lombard is clearly the Bronx’s shortstop of the future. The only question is whether the future is now or later.
For a day Wednesday, it seemed like Lombard had definitely arrived.
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