It may take a few years before Aaron Judge and George Lombard Jr. are consistently playing together in the New York Yankees lineup, but Judge is already impressed by the 19-year-old shortstop. Lombard, the Yankees’ consensus No. 2 prospect behind Jasson Domínguez, has been showing out this spring.
The 2023 No. 26 overall pick is hitting .333 with two home runs and four RBIs in just eight preseason games. On Tuesday, he impressed again by slamming a 106 mph single off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Judge, who was once a top prospect himself, is among those most impressed with Lombard’s progress. “He’s gonna be something special,” Judge said, according to the New York Post. He specifically highlighted Lombard’s work ethic and power, which has been evident even though Lombard only hit .231 across two minor-league levels last year.
Aaron Judge
He also tallied 25 doubles, stole 39 bases, and posted a .338 on-base percentage. For reference, 40 MLB players had at least a .338 OBP last season, including stars like Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Schwarber, and Francisco Lindor.
“He’s a great kid,” Judge added. “He’s a hard worker who goes and does his thing. He doesn’t say much. He shows up and does what he needs to do.” It’s uncertain if Lombard will start the season at High-A, where he ended 2024, or move up to Double-A, but at this pace, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the Bronx sooner rather than later.
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