George Lombard Jr. Has What It Takes to Succeed Where Anthony Volpe Faltered

The Yankees’ 21-year-old shortstop has shot out of the gate in the majors—just as Volpe did at the same age. But Lombard’s profile portends a brighter future.

George Lombard Jr. has gotten off to a fast start in the majors. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Yankees made a pair of notable acquisitions before Monday’s trade deadline, adding some needed bats in Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos to spark a slumping lineup that’s missing some key players. It’s possible, however, that New York’s most important move at the deadline wasn’t even a trade.

The Yankees optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple A after the deadline, bringing his heir apparent, prospect George Lombard Jr., to the big leagues. Lombard certainly made Yankees fans feel good about his promotion when he hit a home run and made some impressive defensive plays during his debut against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Early on, Lombard looks like the future at shortstop for the Yankees. And with the 21-year-old set to take over the position, that casts Volpe’s future into doubt.

What’s next for Anthony Volpe after demotion to Triple A?

After being demoted to Triple A, the Yankees indicated they intend to give Volpe reps at both shortstop and second base. Returning to New York as the team’s starting shortstop is unlikely at this point, but perhaps the Yankees feel there’s an avenue for Volpe to develop into a starting-caliber second baseman. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. set to hit free agency in the offseason, there could be an opening for Volpe to compete for. That would require quite a turnaround, though.

Once himself deemed the future at shortstop in the Bronx, Volpe’s inability to develop as a hitter was ultimately his undoing. Volpe was an excellent batter in the minor leagues. In 293 career games in the minors, he had a .862 OPS with 51 home runs and 92 stolen bases. Those numbers simply did not translate at the next level. In MLB, Volpe owns a career .660 OPS across 528 games. He’s never hit above .243 in a season and his 7.6% walk rate was too low for a player who struck out in nearly 25% of his plate appearances and never slugged above .400. He hit 21 home runs and stole 24 bases as a rookie, but was ultimately never able to replicate those numbers, failing to hit more than 19 home runs in any other season.

The most likely outcome for Volpe, however, is a change of scenery. Perhaps escaping the bright lights of New York would enable Volpe to unlock his potential in an environment where his play is not constantly being scrutinized by one of MLB’s most critical fan bases. Yankees fans had high hopes for Volpe, but the vast majority of them ran out of patience with him a long time ago. His defensive miscues have been clipped and mocked despite him recording six outs above average in 56 games this season. It’s understandable in that the Yankees expect to be in contention for the World Series year in and year out. Frustration took over as Volpe’s struggles mounted, and it’s hard for a player, particularly a young one with significant expectations, to stay focused and upbeat while constantly being condemned by the fan base he was a part of growing up.

Volpe could still develop into a quality MLB player, though the clock is certainly ticking in that regard. An offseason trade to a rebuilding club seems like the best option for Volpe at this point, though if he shows promise at second base or suddenly finds a fix to his ails at the plate, it’s possible he’ll get one last chance in the Bronx.

Anthony Volpe may have run out of chances in the Bronx. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why George Lombard Jr. will succeed where Anthony Volpe failed

While Volpe looks to figure out what comes next, Lombard appears to be here to stay, and there’s reason for Yankees fans to feel plenty optimistic about their new shortstop.

The 21-year-old has the tools to succeed in the big leagues. He comes with a stronger arm and more range at shortstop than Volpe. And while it’s too early to say how he’ll handle inevitable slumps, it sure seems like he has the confidence to handle the spotlight that comes with playing shortstop in pinstripes.

Lombard also demonstrated a superior approach at the plate at the highest level of the minor leagues. While Volpe posted a .313 OBP at Triple A before debuting in the majors, Lombard has a .405 OBP at the same level this year. Volpe’s career OBP in the big leagues is down to .287, ranking 256th out of 281 qualified players since 2023 (Volpe’s rookie season). His struggles getting on base proved to be a major detriment.

Although Volpe displayed more power throughout his tenure in the minor leagues, when he hit 51 home runs in 293 games—compared to Lombard’s 26 homers in 333 games—he seemed to sell out for power early on in the majors. Lombard is much more willing to settle for a single or a walk to populate the base paths rather than frequently looking to park a ball in the outfield seats. The Yankees regularly rank near the top of the home run leaderboard, so they aren’t desperate for another home run threat, which makes Lombard an ideal fit for New York’s lineup.

So long as Lombard remains confident defensively and doesn’t try to change his approach to see more balls leave the yard, he should have a long career in the Bronx, and could live up to the hype and excel under the pressure that Volpe faltered under.

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