PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — George Lombard Jr. made an error at shortstop against the Nationals on Saturday. He got picked off first base in the same game. Then on Sunday, he moved to third base against the Mets and tripled in a 10-4 Yankees loss at Clover Park. That is the full picture of a 20-year-old prospect in March. The mistakes and the talent are sitting right next to each other, and the Yankees are fine with both.
What matters to the Yankees is not the boxscore from any single spring game. It is what happens every time a ground ball finds its way toward Lombard’s glove. And on that front, the Yankees verdict has been the same all spring: this kid is different.
Boone sees something special every time Lombard takes the field
Aaron Boone started Lombard at shortstop Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Washington. He moved him to third base Sunday against the Mets. The position did not matter. Neither did the error. What Boone keeps seeing from the Yankees top prospect is a defender who makes plays that most infielders simply cannot.
“Wherever I put him, even going back to last spring, he makes a play every time that you’re like, ‘Dang, not a lot of people make that play, even if they’re familiar with the position,'” Boone said. “He’s pretty special on the defensive side.”
Asked whether the defensive versatility Lombard has shown is important for his development, Boone gave a direct answer. He does not think Lombard needs to prove he can play other spots. The shortstop position is his.
“I don’t know how important it is because he can really play short,” Boone said. “The fact he plays the other ones with the ease with which he does, that’s what’s impressive to me.”
The praise did not stop there. Boone called Lombard mature, professional, physical, and prepared.
“He’s mature, he’s a pro, he’s physical and he’s prepared,” Boone said. “He’s played really well. He’s swung the bat well, but also played phenomenal defense wherever.”
The bat is developing, but it is the last piece for the Yankees prospect
The triple against the Mets was the latest encouraging sign from a hitter who is changing how he is viewed. Earlier this spring, Lombard launched a 392-foot home run off Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet on a 96.8 mph fastball with a 104.2 mph exit velocity. He nearly went deep again against Tampa Bay lefty Ian Seymour, but the wind knocked the ball down.
Through his Yankees spring appearances, Lombard has posted a 156 wRC+ with an 80% hard-hit rate. His modified stance, designed to get him into launch position quicker, appears to be working against the premium velocity that gave him trouble in Double-A last season.
Boone acknowledged that the bat remains the area where the Yankees prospect needs the most growth. But the Yankees manager framed it as the final piece of a very promising puzzle.
“He’s just impressive physically,” Boone said. “As a young man, he keeps filling out and you notice another level every year. He gives you a really good at-bat, knows the zone and is very disciplined and focused. The last thing for him is to continue to develop the hit tool to finish off the player.”
The Double-A struggles that shaped the Yankees timeline
For all the highlight plays, the Yankees have not forgotten what happened at Double-A Somerset in 2025. After crushing High-A pitching with a .329 average and a 194 wRC+ across 24 games at Hudson Valley, the jump to the Eastern League humbled him. Lombard hit .215/.337/.358 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs over 108 games. His strikeout rate climbed from 19.8% to 26.4%. Pitchers attacked him with high fastballs, and his timing was often late.
Brian Cashman acknowledged the gap. The Yankees general manager said he believes Lombard “could play defense in the big leagues right now” but noted “he’s still developing on the hitting side.” That assessment is why 2027 remains the target debut year, not 2026.
Boone offered a more optimistic read on the underlying data from the Yankees analytics staff. “Under the hood, he was much better than the surface stuff,” Boone said. “Our analysts even had him hitting a bunch of home runs with a Major League ball.”
Where Lombard fits in the Yankees infield picture
The Yankees shortstop position has been a problem for years. Since 2020, hitters at the spot have produced a .296 OBP and an 85 wRC+ for the Yankees, ranking sixth worst in baseball. Anthony Volpe is recovering from labrum surgery and is not expected back until May. Jose Caballero is holding down shortstop for the Yankees in the interim. Oswaldo Cabrera adds depth.
Lombard is not making the trip north. He will open the year at Double-A Somerset for the Yankees. The organization has been clear about the plan. But the spring has only reinforced what every scout and coach in the Yankees building already knew. The glove is elite. The bat is getting louder. And a couple of slip-ups along the way have done nothing to change the Yankees assessment of what they have in him.
“It’s just continuing to develop as a hitter,” Boone said. “The next level is, hit tool, keep developing that. Because the defense, knowledge of the strike zone and the ability to impact the ball is there, and he keeps developing physically year over year. It’s noticeable.”
The error against Washington and the pickoff are footnotes in the Yankees spring. The triple, the homer off Crochet, and the plays at three different infield positions are the story. For the Yankees and their fans, the talent status on the organization’s top prospect has never been clearer.
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