Yankees' George Lombard Jr. joins Spencer Jones as club's top prospects

TAMPA, Fla. — An informal Newsday poll of six rival scouts assigned to the Yankees during spring training asked this question:

Who are three or four of the Yankees prospects in camp who have yet to play in the majors (thus eliminating pitcher Will Warren) whom you absolutely would take for your club?

Two names were named by all six talent evaluators — outfielder Spencer Jones and shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Jones, of course, has been on the radar of scouts for several years. Pretty much since the Yankees picked the 6-6, 235-pound Jones in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, he’s been among the prospects whom general manager Brian Cashman is asked about most in trade talks.

Lombard is quickly ascending into that category, a process started soon after the Yankees took him with their first-round pick (26th overall) in 2023.

“Love everything about him,” said one National League scout who has seen Lombard the past two seasons in the minors.

He added with emphasis: “Everything.”

Lombard, the son of former big-leaguer George Lombard, is 19 and continued to impress pretty much everyone in spring training as he participated in his first big-league camp.

The compact, athletic 6-2, 190-pound, righthanded-hitting infielder hit .227 with two homers and a .792 OPS in 11 Grapefruit League games before being sent to minor-league camp with just over two weeks left in big-league spring training, outlasting many of his minor-league brethren who were sent out far sooner.

The pedestrian batting average is irrelevant. Lombard, who was never a threat to make the roster and who likely is ticketed for High-A Hudson Valley to start the season, simply looked the part of a major-leaguer.

That included on the field with his movements — whether at shortstop or the occasional time he spent at third or in the batter’s box, where he rarely looked intimidated or overmatched — and in the clubhouse, where he expertly walked the fine line all hyped prospects must walk, appearing comfortable among big-leaguers without appearing too comfortable.

“You know it when you see it,” one veteran Yankee said of how a high-level prospect handles himself in the clubhouse around major-leaguers. “You see, whatever the ‘it’ is, with him, you see it. He just gets it.”

Lombard said growing up around the game, and being in a major-league clubhouse with his father pretty much from the time he could walk, contributed to that comfort.

“No doubt,” he said. “Both baseball-wise, being around the game so much and learning the game, and then kind of learning how the clubhouse works, the dynamics of clubhouses, 100% [has helped with] the comfort level. Just from day-to-day things, whether how their routines work, being somewhat familiar with that or having interactions with guys from a young age, definitely a huge help.”

Lombard is a natural shortstop but also has played second and third in the minors. Anthony Volpe, who will turn 24 at the end of April, seems entrenched at short and, well, no one should get ahead of themselves going down the road of hypotheticals.

Lombard won’t be in the majors this season — that much can be said because he has a ways to go in his development, offensively especially — but beyond that, everything and anything is on the table.

As Cashman has said many times over the years when it comes to prospects: “They tell you [with their play] when they’re ready.”

The Yankees, players included, will be paying attention.

“The tools are all there,” captain Aaron Judge said during camp. “In your first camp, you’re trying to come in here, you’re trying to impress and sometimes you can maybe do a little too much. But he has stepped in and has kind of owned it all. I’m excited for his future, that’s for sure."