George Lombard Jr. had been tearing up the South Atlantic League despite being just 19 years old, and the Yankees have decided to promote him up a level to Double-A. He had slashed .329/.495/.488 across 24 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades at the High-A level, hitting six doubles in his last seven games while working more walks than strikeouts on the season.
Ranked as the top prospect in the Yankees’ organization, this puts him just two levels away from reaching the Major Leagues, but this promotion goes beyond his proximity to the Major Leagues. The Eastern League presents a massive challenge to the young infielder, as Double-A is filled to the brim with talent that could compete for Major League playing time in the near future.
Hot Start Prompts Yankees to Give George Lombard Jr. an Aggressive Promotion
The New York Yankees rarely promote a prospect to Double-A without having them play a lot in High-A first, but they believe that George Lombard Jr. is ready for Somerset. He is the first 19-year-old to play for the Somerset Patriots since Jasson Dominguez did it in 2022, being promoted late in the season to get some reps in before spending almost the entire season at that level the year after.
Anthony Volpe was 20 when he debuted with the Somerset Patriots, but turned 21 later in April of that season. George Lombard Jr. will get the majority of the 2025 season to get himself adjusted to Eastern League pitching, which should present a challenge for the teenager, as the competition at that level is far better than what he likely faced in the South Atlantic League.
What he did in the SAL was incredible, working more walks than strikeouts while seeing his game power improve as the weather improved. Playing in miserable conditions for the first few weeks of the year, he struggled to drive the ball into the gaps, but over his last seven games, he’s hit six doubles with a wRC+ north of 200.
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George Lombard Jr. has been an excellent contributor on the defensive side of the ball as well, being considered a brilliant defensive shortstop. His arm strength is excellent, and if he were to move off the position because of Anthony Volpe, he could slide to third base without much trouble. On the bases, he’s quite a pest as well, stealing 11 bases and only being caught twice thus far.
The Yankees are making a public statement with this promotion; they fully believe in George Lombard Jr. and see him as a piece of the future. He was expected to spend a good chunk of time in Hudson Valley with a promotion potentially coming later in the season, but this early promotion could put him in a position to earn a starting job as soon as next Spring Training.