George

Lombard Jr.

Lombard earns the promotion to the upper minors after tearing the cover off the ball at the outset of the season for High-A Hudson Valley, batting .329/.495/.488 with 10 extra-base hits and 11 steals through 24 games. The 19-year-old top prospect has made tremendous strides since being selected 26th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. He’s not quite an elite dynasty prospect yet for fantasy purposes, but he’s certainly on that trajectory, especially as he continues to improve at the plate.

Lombard, who doesn’t turn 20 years old until June 2, was one of New York’s standout prospects this spring. He was batting .263 (5-for-19) with two homers during 10 Grapefruit League contests prior to going 0-for-3 during Monday’s showdown against the Tigers. The former first-round pick struggled to make contact on pitches in the zone last year in the lower minors, but the physical tools are undeniable. He’s most likely already rostered in deeper dynasty formats and it wouldn’t be shocking if his value skyrocketed this season with a strong performance in the upper minors.

Lombard, the 26th overall pick in the 2023 draft, settled for five homers in 110 games in A-ball last season, but there’s considerably more power on the way here. A shortstop primarily right now, he projects best at third base, which is where he started today.

The 19-year-old Lombard was hitting .232/.344/.348 with five homers and 30 steals in 81 games for low-A Tampa. He’s mostly played shortstop, but he’s also getting some experience at second and third with Anthony Volpe blocking the way at his primary position.

Lombard lands an over-slot $3.3 million signing bonus after being selected 26th overall at the tail-end of the first round earlier this month. He’ll begin his career at just 18 years old in New York’s system. The son of former big leaguer George Lombard is one of the more toolsy middle infield prospects in his draft class and has a shot of reaching the majors in a few years.

The son of major-league infielder, and long-time big-league coach, George Lombard, is one of the most toolsy prospects in this year’s draft class, and is big enough that he might eventually have to move off shortstop down the road. However, he does just about everything well, and could find himself in the big leagues in just a few years. The 18-year-old is one of the better prep bats in the draft class, which makes him a strong selection for the Yankees.