One of baseball’s brightest young stars is on his way to the Bronx.
Infielder George Lombard Jr., the New York Yankees’ No. 1 prospect, has been promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 21-year-old will bat eighth and play shortstop for the Yankees on Tuesday in their 7:05 p.m. home tilt with the St. Louis Cardinals.
In a pair of corresponding moves, Angel Chivilli, Anthony Volpe, and Jasson Dominguez have all been optioned to Triple-A, while Yerry de los Santos has been recalled.
A Meteoric Rise
Few prospects have garnered more hype over the past year than Lombard Jr. After beginning the 2025 season in High-A, the 2023 first-round pick quickly earned a promotion to Double-A after hitting .329 with 10 extra-base hits in 24 games. He remained in Double-A through the start of 2026, but was promoted to Triple-A after hitting .312 with 12 extra-base hits in 20 games.
In 56 Triple-A games, Lombard Jr. impressed once again. His .268/.405/.440 slash line helped the RailRiders to 59 wins, the second-most in the International League East Division. He leaves as baseball’s No. 20 overall prospect, despite sitting outside the Top 100 less than one year ago.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Lombard’s biggest strength is his infield versatility, as he played second base, third base, and shortstop during his minor league career. He’ll begin his Yankee tenure playing the latter of the three positions, but with the team struggling to find consistency at both second and third, it’s plausible Lombard Jr. makes appearances at all three. In addition to his defense, Lombard Jr. has 55-grade speed and power, giving him true 30-30 potential.
The area Lombard Jr. struggles in the most is contact, evidenced by his 45-grade hit tool. In Triple-A, he made contact with 72.4 percent of pitches, well below the major league average. He walks enough to supplement that number, but lots of eyes will be on his bat-to-ball skills early on.
Volpe’s Uncertain Future
With Lombard Jr. now the Yankees’ starting shortstop, Anthony Volpe’s time with the team has all but come to an end. The team has said they plan to give him playing time at second base in the minors, so there might be a pathway back in 2027, especially with Jazz Chisholm Jr. approaching free agency. However, with the postseason on the horizon, Volpe likely won’t play in pinstripes for the rest of 2026.
Like Lombard Jr., Volpe was the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in 2023 and baseball’s No. 5 prospect. However, inconsistencies have plagued his big league career. In 528 games, the 2019 first-round pick has posted averages of .224/.287/.373. He’s also struck out 518 times, a number his 159 walks cannot mask.
More concerning than his offensive production, though, is his defensive regression. After winning a Gold Glove in 2023 as a rookie, Volpe posted -6 outs above average in 2025. He also made 19 errors, tied for the third most in the majors. At 25-years-old, there’s time for him to revive his career. Unfortunately, there’s little chance it occurs with the Yankees.
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