BRONX, NY — George Lombard Jr.’s arrival to The Show earlier this week was one that will be talked about for weeks, months, and perhaps years from now in Yankee Land.
Displaying the poise of a veteran beyond his years across the first two games of his major league career, the No. 1 ranked prospect of the Yankees has proven thus far that the bright lights of Yankee Stadium aren’t too intense for him.
A 21-year-old Florida kid of Cuban heritage through his mother, Lombard, making his MLB debut on Tuesday wasted no time—smashing a hanging breaking ball from Cardinals starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins for a solo home run in his second career at-bat.
A memorable swing for the right-handed swinging shortstop, one he had dreamt of for years during his childhood and throughout his ascension in the Yankees’ farm system.
With his father George Lombard Sr. and mother Judy Prado Lombard in the building too, Lombard’s fifth-inning home run nearly shook the stadium, while providing the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
“(I’m) still kind of processing it all. It was really cool and also, it was a close game and it was a big run,” the rookie said after the Yankees won 2-0.
“It was probably a moment, a swing, a day I won’t forget.”
The next day on Wednesday in the Cardinals-Yankees series finale where St. Louis defeated New York, 3-1, Lombard recorded a single up the middle and finished 1-4 with two strikeouts. So a homer and single over his first 48 hours in the majors.
Meanwhile Lombard’s glove, a strong suit of his since his high school playing days in Florida, was on full display with diving plays and nifty double plays out of the gate.
To the point where in two games so far, Lombard already has two DRS (Defensive Runs Saved).
“Since I can remember, it’s something I always have a love for, a passion for,” he said of his wizardry on the diamond with Yankees manager Aaron Boone comparing him to a puma.
“I try to go out there and get a little work in every day and get a little better and help the pitchers with every play that I can make.”
As Boone noted, “I heard (Ryan) Weathers talk about how long he is and that’s a good way of describing it. He is just very athletic and quick and, you know, cat-like in a lot of ways, but with really good range.”
Ranked No. 1 in the Yankees’ farm system and 20th on MLB’s Top 100 Pipeline, Lombard earned his call up by tearing through Double-A and Triple-A this season. His combined numbers are 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and an OPS of .909 in 289 at-bats.
This was also coupled with solid plate discipline that resulted in 60 walks and 76 strikeouts.
All of this excitement shown in the Bronx this week for Lombard could have occurred sooner had he not injure his finger on June 16th which sidelined him for a month and forced him to miss out on his second appearance in MLB’s Futures All-Star Game.
The Strong Lombard Family Bond with Baseball
None of this should come as a surprise since Lombard comes from a strong baseball family with his father George Lombard Sr., who is a former MLB infielder and current coach with the Detroit Tigers, paving the way for his kids.
Lombard Sr., seated next to his wife for their oldest son’s MLB debut in the Bronx Tuesday, had the opportunity to witness George’s first career MLB HR in person moments after watching from their phones their younger son Jacob Lombard hitting his first professional home run in Low-A with the Miami Marlins in his MiLB debut.
Both brothers are first round picks out of Gulliver Prep in Miami, Florida, as George was drafted in the first round by the Yankees in 2023 while Jacob was just selected by the Marlins last month in this year’s draft.
The Cuban Ties
Lombard’s mother Judy Prado Lombard was born to Cuban parents who came to America in their teens with her mother Posy being a civil rights activist in the 1960s.
This shows an extremely strong family and support system from the very beginning that Lombard had grown up around in the Miami area, easily picking up Spanish as his second language.
Now that he’s in pinstripes, this tool at such a young age will help Lombard develop as a leader, allowing him to serve as an interpreter for his teammates on and off the field if and when the time presents itself.
A Spark from Lombard in George’s Jungle
The Yankees (64-51, in possession of the first AL Wild Card spot, leading Boston by 1 game) have been searching for better offense since the injury of the team’s captain Aaron Judge in late May. But it’s not a fair expectation for Lombard to be the savior at his age and raw make up.
His defense up the middle is a guaranteed improvement and if he could just be a league average hitter that would be a huge win for the Yankees down the stretch.
The three-time American League MVP described Lombard’s arrival to The Show as “incredible” and went on to say:
“Seeing him in spring training, you see the tools. You see the way he carries himself, the personality, he’s got it all. So for him to go out there and get his chance to finally live out his dream and hit a home run in your debut is pretty impressive. He made some great plays on defense. So I’m glad he’s up here doing this thing.”
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