Fans of the New York Yankees are chomping at the bit to see George Lombard Jr. in the Bronx and for good reason.
The highly touted Yankees shortstop was ranked No. 20 on the MLB top-100 prospect list unveiled by ESPN MLB prospects reporter Kiley McDaniel.
Lombard, 20, has been one of the Yankees’ most compelling prospects since they chose him in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He has earned comparisons to Derek Jeter, especially after donning the No. 2 during his 108 games with Double-A Somerset last season.
Lombard was the second-highest-ranked prospect of any AL East team. Only Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (No. 14) was ranked higher, though Yesavage is likely to graduate from the minors after contributing to the Jays’ run to the World Series last season.
George Lombard Jr. Is The No. 20 MLB Prospect
McDaniel compared Lombard to power-hitting middle infielder Willy Adames, who has three 30-homer seasons in the past four years while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants. McDaniel called Lombard a “power-over-hit shortstop who can hit 20 homers and play above-average defense.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Anthony Volpe also has that skill set. But Lombard, whose father George played in the majors and is a coach with the Detroit Tigers, is more polished than the 2023 AL Gold Glove winner at shortstop.
“Lombard’s feel for the game is evident especially on the bases and on defense,” McDaniel wrote. “He has good tools but excellent outcomes, with above-average defense at shortstop. He stole 35 bases last season.”
But the Adames comp comes from Lombard’s 50-grade raw power and 45-grade game power, which he has yet to truly unlock. Lombard has 14 minor-league home runs in 255 minor-league games and only a .718 OPS.
Still, McDaniel sees it coming.
“At the plate, Lombard projects for above-average-to-plus raw power and has a swing geared to get to it in games, even if he hasn’t posted big homer totals yet,” McDaniel said. “That’s not unusual for minor league shortstops: Lombard hit nine homers last year, but Adames never hit more than 11 homers in a season in the minors but has eclipsed 20 homers six times and 30 homers three times in the big leagues.
“His issue, similar to Adames’, is that this limits his contact ceiling, projecting as a 45-grade hitter which is roughly a .240 average. Lots of 3-win shortstops hit in the .240s or .250s but not many are below that, so Lombard is toeing the line of his offensive approach working, but I think it will.”
George Lombard Isn’t The Yankees’ Only Top-100 Prospect
Much gets made of the Yankees’ reliance on veterans, but their prospect pipeline is full of high-end talent too, especially in the rotation.
After Luis Gil burst on the scene by winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2024, two rookies, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler, were impact rookies in 2025. Elmer Rodriguez is poised to be another impact arm in 2026, since he was ranked No. 87 on McDaniel’s list of prospects.
Rodriguez was acquired in ultra-rare Yankees-Boston Red Sox trade which included Boston’s starting catcher Carlos Narvaez. But Rodriguez came alive in the Yankees’ system, by going 11-8 with a 2.58 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 150 innings over three levels in 2025.
With injuries affecting the Yankees early in the year, to Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodon, Yankees fans may get to know the 22-year-old’s name early in the year.
“With two kinds of fastballs, Rodriguez has six average to above-average pitches, enough command to start, and just threw 150 innings last season, including a start in Triple-A,” McDaniel said. “He’s now on the 40-man roster and could be a rotation option for the Yankees in 2026.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Prospect Earns Top-20 Ranking On MLB Top-100 List appeared first on Heavy Sports.