The Yankees made an extremely aggressive decision to promote George Lombard Jr. from High-A to Double-A just a week into the month of May.
While the right-handed hitting shortstop had hit well in Hudson Valley at the High-A level, he hadn’t spent much time at the level, and the jump to Double-A is difficult.
Furthermore, it’s hard for hitters to adjust in the Eastern League, where offense is completely dead right now as the average OPS is .682 with a .364 SLG%.
George Lombard Jr. got off to a tough start, but over his last 29 games, we’re seeing the power come around, sporting a 141 wRC+ and .433 SLG%, as he could work towards a late-2026 debut.
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Late Power Surge From Yankees’ George Lombard Jr. Brings Excitement For 2026
It’s been an up-and-down season for George Lombard Jr. from a results-standpoint, as he hasn’t put up overwhelming numbers at the Double-A level, but there are a lot of variables working against him.
As mentioned earlier, Lombard Jr. plays in the pitcher-friendly Eastern League, which has seen an extremely low SLG% that’s hampered even more for hitters on the Somerset Patriots.
TD Bank Ballpark, home for the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, has been extremely pitcher-friendly in 2025 and has made it hard for hitters on the team to put up big numbers.
As of late however, we’re seeing a massive uptick in game power which could help Lombard Jr. take a starting job in the Yankees’ infield at some point in 2026.
Isolated Power (ISO) allows us to measure a hitters game power since it looks at the gap between AVG and SLG%, with the league-average ISO in the Eastern League being a measly .132.
In his last 46 games, George Lombard Jr. has a .201 ISO, which is firmly excellent when you consider how dead the run environment is.
His ISO has increased from .104 in 2024 to .146 in 2025 as a while, and as George Lombard Jr. enters his age-21 season in 2026, the Yankees are seeing the biggest weakness in his game finally improve.
Lombard is also 17th among all MiLB hitters in walks (82) on the season, having 30 doubles and nine home runs to go alongside that.
If the power continues to uptick and the plate control remains excellent, George Lombard Jr. could produce above-average offensive value at the Major League level, which would almost guarantee that he’d be a good everyday shortstop.
One of the reasons that people are so high on the 20-year-old is because he can contribute even when he doesn’t hit, something echoed by his teammate Brendan Jones:
“The way he can impact a game on all facets…if he doesn’t have a hit that day, he’s probbaly made three or four great defensive plays or he’s going to steal a base or make a really smart baserunning play”
The excellent defense and blazing speed coupled with emerging power could help George Lombard Jr. become the quality everyday shortstop that the Yankees expect him to become.
Internally, the Yankees hold a high view of Lombard’s maturity and leadership abilities. He commands locker rooms that consist of teammates older than himself, and he looks like the most polished player on the field in every game he plays.
George Lombard Jr. has only taken two plate appearances in 2025 against pitchers younger than himself, and yet he looks like the veteran with years of pro experience under his belt.
A strong finish to the 2025 season could propel George Lombard Jr. in 2026, as while he shouldn’t be in contention for a starting job in Spring Training, he could make his debut in the second half of that season.
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