Yankees' George Lombard Jr. Just Proved He's Built for New York

We can't even refer to George Lombard Jr. as a top prospect anymore. He is the New York Yankees shortstop, and he loudly announced his presence in his MLB debut during a 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Lombard not only made numerous sparkling plays in the field, but he smashed a no-doubt home run into the left field seats for his first career hit, evoking thoughts of what the future might be ... and memories of Derek Jeter in the process.

Obviously, it is far too early to even begin any Jeter comparisons, but you can't help but notice at least some parallels.

Remember: Jeter was promoted just before his 21st birthday in 1995, and while he didn't actually play in the postseason that year, his potential was obvious.

Lombard, now 21, was New York's No. 1 prospect. Like Jeter, he is a shortstop. And like Jeter, he has all of the tools to become elite.

He also showed zero fear of Yankee Stadium's bright lights in his debut. He was smooth in the field. He was comfortable and patient at the plate. He looked completely ready for the moment, and that is a rarity for a rookie playing on baseball's biggest stage.

Again, it was just one game, but you can't help but feel that this may have been the start of something special for Lombard.

And I'll be the first to say it: I was highly critical of the mere possibility of promoting Lombard in the preceding weeks. I thought it was way too soon. I thought the pressure of a pennant race in the Bronx would be far too much for a 21-year-old to handle. Especially considering how highly Lombard was touted.

But it looks like I was wrong.

Lombard treated his big-league debut like it was just a run-of-the-mill game in Triple-A. He appeared unfazed. He didn't even flinch. He treated his first roll call like it was another day at the office.

All of it was exactly what you would want from a Yankee shortstop, the most glamorous position in all of baseball. Next to quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, it may very well be the most glamorous in all of sports.

Lombard's debut was brilliant, and it was a whole lot of fun. It will be exciting to see what he can do for an encore, and whether or not New York has found its next Jeter.