Yankees Facing Familiar Problem With Top Prospect George Lombard Jr.

The New York Yankees' farm system is teeming with pitching, but when it comes to position players, there is a dearth of elite talent.

Jasson Dominguez has proven to be a disappointment thus far, and Spencer Jones has yet to even hit the big-league level in spite of turning 25 years old this May.

Over the years, the Yankees have largely struggled to develop hitters (Aaron Judge notwithstanding), so there is considerable trepidation when it comes to New York's position player prospects actually succeeding in the majors.

Nevertheless, shortstop George Lombard Jr. is actually the top-ranked prospect within the Yankees' organization, and even though he is just 20 years old, he is already being viewed as the team's shortstop of the future.

But there may already be reasons to be concerned about Lombard.

While Lombard has the potential to be a wizard defensively, his bat may have some holes, similar to what New York is currently experiencing with Jones.

Jones smashed 35 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season, but he also struck out 179 times over 506 plate appearances. That was good for a strikeout rate of 35.4 percent, and it's the primary reason why he has yet to reach the show.

Lombard didn't fan quite that much in 2025, but his 25.2 percent strikeout rate across Single-A and Double-A was still alarming, especially considering he slashed just .235/.367/.381 with nine homers and 49 RBI through 580 trips to the dish.

The walk rate is encouraging and indicates that Lombard has a good eye, but it's also clear he has a problem with swinging at pitches out of the zone.

Jones compensates for his strikeout issue with prodigious power. Lombard doesn't quite have the same pop, having totaled 14 homers over 1,135 minor-league plate appearances. That is definitely a bit worrisome.

Typically, guys you strike out a lot have long swings, and the tradeoff is a decent amount of dingers. But that doesn't seem to be the case with Lombard. At least not yet.

Perhaps the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Lombard still needs some time to grow into his frame and develop some more power. Remember: Jones never even hit 20 home runs in any one individual campaign until breaking out in 2025.

But when you consider that the Yankees' top hitting prospect is yet another player with strikeout troubles, it could be considered cause for concern.

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