TAMPA, Fla. — On the same night the Yankees announced they will retire CC Sabathia’s No. 52 later this year, another left-handed pitcher gave fans at George M. Steinbrenner Field something to talk about. And so did the organization’s top position player prospect.
Ryan Weathers and George Lombard Jr. stole the show in the Yankees’ 7-0 shutout of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. The pitching was dominant from the first inning to the last. The offense capitalized on sloppy Nationals defense. And two players who are fighting to shape the future of this franchise made strong cases for themselves.
Rosario gets the Yankees rolling early
Amed Rosario set the tone right away. The veteran infielder, who has a bench spot locked up for 2026, jumped on the first pitch he saw from Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez and launched it over the fence for a leadoff home run. Rosario finished the night 1-for-3 while also reaching base on an error when center fielder Dylan Crews dropped a pop-up with runners on first and second and two outs, allowing two more runs to score.
The Nationals committed three errors on the night and had several other misplays. Five of the Yankees’ seven runs were unearned. But the offense still strung together quality at-bats throughout the lineup. Max Schuemann collected three hits. J.C. Escarra scored from third on a wild pitch. Jonathan Ornelas drove in a run with a single in the fourth.
Weathers dominates in his first start as a Yankee
The real story of the night was on the mound. Weathers, acquired from the Marlins this offseason, delivered the best pitching performance of Yankees camp so far. The left-hander worked 3.2 innings, allowed just one hit, walked nobody and struck out five batters on 49 pitches (32 strikes).
The numbers that jumped off the page were the swing-and-miss totals. Weathers generated 12 whiffs on 23 swings, a 52% whiff rate. His fastball averaged 98.5 mph and topped out at 99.8 mph, a career high. All five of his pitches generated at least one miss, with the sweeper, slider and changeup each producing three whiffs.
Weathers breezed through the first two innings on just 22 pitches. He gave up his only hit, a one-out single in the third, but erased the runner with a 6-4-3 double play to get through three frames on 39 pitches. He retired the first two batters in the fourth before being pulled mid-at-bat after reaching 49 pitches. Reliever Danny Watson came in and finished the at-bat with a strikeout, ending Weathers’ line.
For a pitcher who arrived in pinstripes carrying a label of unfulfilled potential, Wednesday’s outing was a loud statement. Weathers looked like a starter who belongs in a big league rotation, not a project who needs more time to figure things out.
Lombard Jr. makes his presence felt with the bat and glove
George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ top position player prospect, had been hitless in his first two spring appearances. That changed Wednesday night.
The 19-year-old shortstop went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run double in the fifth inning. He also made a strong throw on a soft dribbler to third base to record an out in the field. It was a complete performance from a player the Yankees view as a cornerstone of their future.
Lombard is not expected to make the Opening Day roster. But nights like Wednesday are why the organization gave him a spring training invite. Every at-bat against big league pitching, every ground ball fielded in a major league setting, adds to his development. And the two-run double showed that his bat can do damage even at this stage.
The Yankees bullpen slammed the door shut
After Weathers and Watson handled the first four innings, the Yankees turned to their high-leverage relievers. David Bednar worked a perfect fifth inning. Fernando Cruz struck out the side in the sixth. Tim Hill posted a 1-2-3 seventh with a strikeout. Kyle Carr closed things out.
The combined pitching effort was staggering. The Yankees pitching staff allowed just one hit all night and faced the minimum 27 batters in the shutout. For a team that lost both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver from last year’s bullpen in free agency, getting clean outings from the new relief corps is a significant early sign.
Not everything was perfect for the Yankees lineup
While the final score looked dominant, a few Yankees regulars struggled at the plate. Jasson Dominguez, Ben Rice and Escarra combined to go 1-for-9 with four strikeouts. The lone hit from that group came from Escarra. For Dominguez in particular, who is fighting to keep a spot on the big league roster after the signing of Randal Grichuk, every hitless night adds pressure.
But on a night where the pitching was this dominant and the prospects flashed this much talent, the Yankees will take it. Spring training is about building confidence, testing depth and identifying who can contribute. On Wednesday, Weathers and Lombard Jr. answered those questions loudly.
The Yankees host the Atlanta Braves on Thursday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
