Yankees' top prospect showing why he can be fast riser through system

It won’t be long before George Lombard Jr. is considered the top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system.

He’s listed as the No. 2 prospect with the Yankees in MLB Pipeline’s new top-30 rankings that were unveiled on Monday. The infielder is ranked in the same spot within Baseball America’s top-30 list.

Jasson Domínguez holds the top spot and since he’s in line to be a starter in the Yankees’ outfield this year, he’ll quickly graduate from prospect status.

That leaves Lombard — a 19-year-old former first-rounder with immense potential — for the top spot.

Fresh off those new rankings, Lombard continued to make the most of his first full-spring invitation at big-league camp. He swatted another long home run to left in Monday night’s blowout win over the Pirates, his second blast of the spring.

Between his pretty right-handed swing, some serious pop at the plate, his elite infield defense and makeup that’s considered off the charts, Lombard is looking like a prospect who can ascend through the farm system quickly.

“The ability is real,” Boone said after Monday night’s spring victory. “The makeup is real too. I mean, this is a special kid. That kind of athlete as they gain experience and start to climb levels, you never know. He’s still got a ways to go in his development process, but you gotta love what you’ve seen so far, and we have.”

The Yankees picked Lombard — the son of former big-leaguer and current Tigers bench coach George Lombard — with the 26th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. He made it up to High-A Hudson Valley by the end of his first full season within the Yankees’ system a year ago and is poised to get a long look at Double-A Somerset this year.

Anthony Volpe is an easy comparison as another first-rounder and highly-touted infielder. They were both Vanderbilt recruits as well, but moved on to the Yankees after getting drafted out of high school instead.

Volpe’s first full season after getting drafted in 2019 was delayed by a year thanks to the pandemic, but like Lombard, he finished up that campaign in High-A Hudson Valley. The next year, he went directly to Double-A Somerset, ending that campaign with a brief taste of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. One spring after that, he continued to impress at MLB camp, winning the shortstop job and making the Opening Day roster, never looking back.

It’s easy to envision both Volpe and Lombard on the left side of the Yankees’ infield in just a few more years — even more so now after these last few homers from the phenom.

By the looks of Lombard‘s play so far this spring, that scenario might come to fruition even sooner than expected.

“It’s fun to watch him,” Boone said. “Really bright future.”

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Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com.