The biggest point of contention for New York Yankees fans in 2025 has been turbulence on the infield. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is finally back at second base after the team moved on from veteran DJ LeMahieu, but the hole he left at third has everyone expecting a trade for a big-name replacement.
At shortstop, things have been similarly ugly. Anthony Volpe has always been a glove-first shortstop whose defense and base-running made him an effective starter. Eventually, the bat should pop and he'll post an All-Star season. In the meantime, his offense has stagnated, posting the same 87 wRC+ that he did in 2024. Having stumbled into a defensive slump, Volpe is on track to post his least valuable season in the bigs.
General manager Brian Cashman is rightfully patient with his former top prospect. For the most impatient of the New York faithful, though, calls for his replacement have begun. They only gained more fuel with Baseball Prospectus's recent midseason top-50 ranking.
George Lombard Jr. is tracking well
Lombard isn't going to help the Yankees compete for a championship in 2025. He might not contribute in 2026, either. But landing 24th on a credible top prospect list is meaningful, and it opens the door for fans to dream about him on the Yankee Stadium dirt.
He flashed in spring training with adequate power and pro-ready defense. Doing so before he turned 20 on June 2 was all the more impressive.
"Lombard got off to one of the hottest starts in the minors, hitting .329/.495/.488 for a month at High-A and forcing a promotion to Double-A as a teenager," Jeffrey Paternostro and Jarrett Seidler wrote. "He forces pitchers to throw strikes and has projectable power output. He’s a likely shortstop-caliber defender with a plus-plus arm."
Lombard has struggled against high heat at times. Still, he walked more than he struck out in High-A and took full advantage of his on-base prowess by running wild. The tools are real, and if he can play shortstop comfortably, he can reasonably be expected to thrive at second or third, too.
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With Chisholm and Volpe already in the middle infield, Lombard's future with New York might require some maneuvering. There's no guarantee Chisholm is in the Bronx when Lombard debuts -- he's a 2027 free agent. If he signs an extension, it would likely be to play second base. Given Lombard's arm strength, third base might be the prospect's long-term home.
Lombard was the only Yankees prospect to make BP's midseason 50. He's the most polished position player in the system, although he's now experiencing the adversity that often comes with stepping up a rung of the MiLB ladder. Lombard performed poorly in his opening act at High-A last season. Now in Double-A, he must find his footing again.
Subsequently, Lombard isn't a short-term reinforcement for the infield. He's several steps from the Major Leagues, and each one of them comes with uncertainty. Lombard has done everything necessary to get fans excited and to at least compete for playing time in 2026 (albeit a right-tailed outcome). For now, he is more hope than help.
It's more likely Lombard partners with Volpe on the infield than replaces him. The incumbent has questions to answer and the prospect has much to prove, but the defensive prowess of that pairing would make any kind of offensive jump a meaningful one for New York's lineup.
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