Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. promoted to Triple-A
Yankees infield prospect George Lombard Jr. during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Feb. 17 in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
ARLINGTON, Texas — George Lombard Jr. is officially a step away from the majors.
The club’s top prospect, who has dazzled in each of the last two spring trainings while in big-league camp, was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday afternoon.
“Love the player, love the person,” Aaron Boone said after his club won its 10th game in 11 tries with a 3-2 victory over the Rangers. “I think after finishing the year last year in Double-A and wanting him to get off to a good start, which he has, it’s good timing to get him up to Triple-A.”
The 20-year-old Lombard, who earned a quick promotion to Double-A Somerset last season (24 games with High-A Hudson Valley), struggled one level up the rest of 2025. He hit .215 with eight homers and a .695 OPS in 108 games there.
But there were no struggles of any kind in Somerset this season.
Lombard, primarily a shortstop who has gotten some reps at third base, as well, all but forced the Yankees to once again promote him early in the season, hitting .324 with four homers and a 1.008 OPS in 19 games with Somerset.
Lombard was invited to his first big-league camp in 2025 at the age of 19 and immediately impressed veteran teammates with not only his skill set but his work ethic and ability to navigate a major-league clubhouse. Lombard has attributed the latter to having grown up around big-leaguers as his father, George, currently the bench coach for AJ Hinch in Detroit, played six years in the majors.
“He’s a guy that’s going to play elite defense at third, shortstop, wherever and then at the plate, man, uses the whole field,” Aaron Judge said of Lombard on Tuesday night after homering a third straight game to give him 12 on the season. “Great contact hitter but he’s got some juice behind it ... I couldn’t imagine being his age, in spring training with the New York Yankees. The composure he has, he’s built for New York. Excited for him to get up to Triple-A and hopefully continue the success he had in Double-A.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
