George Lombard's Home Run Gives Yankees Something to Think About

Hitting a home run in Spring Training is always a great sign, but for New York Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. to do it off Boston Red Sox Garrett Crochet is even more impressive.

Lombard went deep on the fourth pitch he saw in a game that was nationally televised on ESPN.

His homer not only left Crochet in disbelief, but it led the Yankees to their eighth straight Spring Training win. If you count their 10-run win over Panama in a World Baseball Classic exhibition, their win-streak sits at nine.

Lombard Jr.'s defense has been the story of spring so far. He's made dazzling plays at second, shortstop, and third base, but his offense hasn't been as lively as someone like Spencer Jones. Now, he's given the team a lot more to think about.

Lombard Begins to Come Alive Offensively

The shortstop went 2-4 with two hits and two runs against the Red Sox in a game the Yankees won, 4-0. Crochet took the loss as he ended up allowing a trio of runs, all of which started thanks to Lombard taking him deep on a 96 miles per hour four-seam fastball.

"It’s always good getting to face the elite guys in the league. I was excited for it,” Lombard said. "I was looking for something to hit and not trying to do too much and put a good swing on it. It felt good off the bat. I’ll go back and take a look at it.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone added, "You see what he's capable of. The thing he does pretty well already as a young hitter is he controls the strike zone and has real power. Obviously, a no-doubter there to start things off.
It's just continuing to develop as a hitter. The next level is, hit tool, keep developing that. Because the defense, knowledge of the strike zone and the ability to impact the ball is there, and he keeps developing physically year over year. It’s noticeable.”

Offense Has Never Been Lombard's Strongsuit

Yankees SS George Lombard Jr — Feb 27, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) hits a two-rbi single against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning during spring training at Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Not that Lombard is a bat hitter, far from it, but until he can prove he's able to rake against the top minor leaguers, the team is going to opt to keep him away from the big leagues. He may already be better than a ton of players defensively, but he needs to master both sides in order to be called up.

When looking at outfielder Spencer Jones, his offense is incredible when he's consistent. He has far more power than the team's No. 1 prospect, it's just a matter of getting his strikeout rate lower. Lombard doesn't have the same strikeout issues but it's notable he's yet to reach Triple-A.

Lombard posted an OPS of .748 a year ago which was up from the .672 he had in 2023. He appeared in just 24 games at A+ before spending the end of his 2025 campaign in Somerset as part of the team's AA squad for 108 games.

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