George Lombard Jr.

George Lombard Jr.
Lombard Jr with the Somerset Patriots in 2026
New York Yankees – No. 96
Shortstop
Born: (2005-06-02) June 2, 2005
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 4, 2026, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
(through August 22, 2026)
Batting average.273
Home runs2
Runs batted in5
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams

George Alexander Lombard Jr. (born June 2, 2005) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2026.

Amateur career

Lombard attended Gulliver Preparatory School in Pinecrest, Florida. He played for the school's baseball and soccer teams, winning state championships in both sports.[1] Lombard committed to attend Vanderbilt University to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[2]

Professional career

The New York Yankees selected Lombard in the first round with the 26th overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft.[2] He signed with the Yankees, reportedly receiving a $3.3 million signing bonus.[3]

Lombard made his professional debut after signing with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees and also played with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons. Across 13 games, he batted .311.[4] In 2024, he played for Tampa and the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades.[5][6] He played 110 games between the two clubs and hit .231 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 25 doubles and 39 stolen bases.

Lombard drew high praise during spring training in 2025 from the media and scouts.[7][8][9] He started the 2025 season with High-A Hudson Valley and was promoted to the Double-A Somerset Patriots in early May.[10][11][12] Across 132 games for the season, Lombard batted .235 with nine home runs, 49 RBI, 32 doubles and 35 stolen bases.

Lombard began the 2026 season with Somerset and batted .312 with four home runs in 20 games. The Yankees promoted him to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on April 29.[13] He was placed on the injured list on June 18 with two sprained fingers before returning to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 17.[14]

On August 4, the Yankees called up Lombard, where he effectively swapped roster spots with shortstop Anthony Volpe, who was demoted to Triple-A.[15][16][17] Lombard made his Major League debut that night against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium, where he went 1-for-2, with a walk and a solo home run, helping the Yankees to a 2-0 victory.[18][19]

Personal life

Lombard is the son of former Major League Baseball player George Lombard, who played for four different teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As of 2026, Lombard Sr. is the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers. George Jr.'s brother, Jacob, is also a shortstop, and also played at Gulliver.[1] Jacob was selected by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2026 MLB draft.[18] His mother's side of the family is Cuban, and he speaks fluent Spanish.[20] His grandmother, Posy, was a civil rights activist and Martin Luther King Jr. associate.[21][22]

References

  1. 1 2 Frisaro, Joe (May 18, 2023). "Gulliver Prep's Lombard brothers enjoying ride as they aim for state titles in two sports". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Gerson, Aria (July 10, 2023). "Vanderbilt baseball signee George Lombard Jr. to Yankees in 2023 MLB Draft". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Yankees sign all 18 of this year's Draft picks". MLB.com. July 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Lombard's 1st HR as pro is 'nothing short of amazing'". MLB.com. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Yankees Mag: Playing to Win". MLB.com.
  6. ↑ Ashmore, Mike. "Yankees No. 3 prospect George Lombard Jr. navigating High-A growing pains". Courier News.
  7. ↑ "Lombard displaying all-around game in spring camp". MLB.com.
  8. ↑ "Why this 19-year-old shortstop might be Yankees' most untouchable prospect".
  9. ↑ Kuty, Brendan (February 22, 2025). "Why Yankees are buzzing over top prospect George Lombard Jr". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ "Yankees promote top prospect Lombard to Double-A Somerset". MLB.com.
  11. ↑ "Yankees No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. Draws comparison to 11-time Gold Glover".
  12. ↑ "'Everybody has their eyes on him': Lombard seamlessly acclimating to Double-A". MLB.com.
  13. ↑ Patriots, Somerset (April 29, 2026). "George Lombard Jr. Promoted To Triple-A". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Welcome back! Yankees' top prospect homers in first Triple-A at-bat since returning from the IL". MLB.com. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  15. ↑ Hoch, Bryan (August 4, 2026). "Yanks calling up No. 1 prospect Lombard after Volpe optioned (source)". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ Castillo, Jorge (August 4, 2026). "Source: Yankees to call up top prospect George Lombard Jr". ESPN. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  17. ↑ Kuty, Brendan; Kirschner, Chris (August 4, 2026). "Yankees to promote George Lombard Jr., demote Anthony Volpe in major shift". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Samson, Brendan (August 4, 2026). "Big night for the Lombard boys: Matching homers during momentous debuts". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Yankees boost lineup with Lombard, who homers in debut". ESPN. August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ↑ Kuty, Brendan (July 21, 2026). "George Lombard Jr. might be Yankees' only untouchable prospect. What do teammates think of him?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  21. ↑ Stavenhagen, Cody (January 18, 2026). "In sharing his mother's civil rights story, George Lombard finds a calling". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  22. ↑ Beck, Jason (January 18, 2021). "Lombard's late mom was hero for civil rights". MLB.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
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