The Miami Marlins may have landed one of the most talented players in the 2026 MLB Draft when they selected Jacob Lombard with the 14th overall pick, but that doesn't mean the organization needs to accelerate his path to the majors.

In fact, patience could be the most important part of Lombard's development.

The 18-year-old shortstop made his professional debut with the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads after signing with his hometown club, immediately giving Marlins fans another reason to be excited about the organization's future. Through 22 games, Lombard was batting .220 with four home runs, 17 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.

Those numbers only represent a tiny sample, however, and Miami has plenty of time to allow its newest prized prospect to develop.

Lombard's long-term potential is what makes him so intriguing. The former Gulliver Prep standout entered the draft ranked No. 5 overall by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, and the Marlins ultimately got him at No. 14.

His athleticism gives him a particularly intriguing ceiling. Lombard possesses the speed, defensive ability and raw power to eventually become an impact player at one of baseball's most demanding positions. That's precisely why there is little reason for Miami to rush the process.

Lombard's older brother, George Lombard Jr., made his own major-league debut on Aug. 3, the same day Jacob began his professional career. The two brothers could eventually become big-league teammates, but Jacob's path is likely to wind a little on its way to The Show.

The Marlins shouldn't expect him to compete for a major-league roster spot in 2027. A move as high as Double-A could be possible, but the more likely scenario is Lombard spending much of the season with the Beloit Sky Carp while continuing to adjust to professional pitching.

MLB Pipeline already ranks Lombard fourth among Miami's prospects, behind Aiva Arquette, Thomas White, and Robby Snelling — players who have considerably more professional experience.

For a Marlins organization building around a young core, there's no reason to force Lombard's timetable. If his development continues according to plan, the potential payoff could be enormous. Miami may not need its newest first-round pick in the majors until around 2029.

That's something even the youngster himself acknowledges is just fine with him.

"It’s part of the way I’ve been raised, and the way I’ve been taught to go about things is to not get too caught up in the present," the Marlins' prospect stated earlier this year, according to an MLB.com feature. "Yeah, I’m a competitor, so I always want to win today, right now, but the way I go about my development, because I started baseball pretty late, the same thing goes for failure, like during the summer.

"I’m less worried about results and more worried about if I fail, 'Hey, what can I take away from it that’s going to help me down the road?' I’m almost looking back [positively at] having had those struggles, those learning points, rather than killing it and having nothing to take away from it."

And for a player with Lombard's ceiling, that kind of patience may ultimately be the best investment the Marlins can make.