Yankees' No. 2 prospect making most of big league camp experience

TAMPA, Fla. -- George Lombard Jr.¡¯s spring could have come with plenty of caveats. He¡¯s the youngest player in Yankees camp, the only one with a 2005 birthdate. He hasn¡¯t played above High-A Hudson Valley. As a non-roster invite, it would be more about the experience than the production.

Even when he opened 3-for-11 with two homers through his first seven games, it was easy to shrug it off as small-sample success against very early competition. But his start on March 4 against the Phillies and reigning NL Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler -- the first time he¡¯d faced anyone who¡¯d finished top two in Cy Young voting this spring -- that would be the potential for a humbling measuring stick.

The at-bat lasted one pitch.

¡°I knew he was going to come after me,¡± Lombard said. ¡°He was going to attack me. He wasn't going to try to get cute with me, so I was just ready to go from the first pitch.¡±

Wheeler delivered a 94.9 mph sinker middle-in, and Lombard shot it through the right side of the infield for an RBI single with an exit velocity of 106.4 mph. It was the hardest-hit ball by a Yankee in their 12-3 win in Clearwater.

It was a big moment for New York¡¯s No. 2 prospect, who has more comfort being in and around Major League situations than most 19-year-olds.

Lombard is the son of Tigers bench coach George Lombard and estimates his first time in an MLB clubhouse was 2016, the first season his dad served as Dodgers first-base coach. One year later, Cody Bellinger arrived in the same Los Angeles clubhouse as the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, and this spring, he and the younger Lombard share a space again, this time as teammates -- at least for a few weeks. That familiar voice brings another layer of comfort to the big time for the shortstop.

¡°In some ways, we have a similar swing in how we move,¡± Lombard said. ¡°We¡¯ve talked a little bit about his drill work and what he does and then a lot about learning, approach-wise, how you can take your game to the next level.¡±

One adjustment that stands out most to the naked eye in that swing -- and it¡¯s important to point out Lombard is right-handed compared to the lefty Bellinger -- is how much quieter Lombard's (the 26th overall pick in 2023) load looks in his second professional spring. He doesn¡¯t look quite as bouncy in his pre-swing setup. Everything is a little more streamlined, by design.

¡°It¡¯s something I focused on in the offseason,¡± Lombard said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make everything a little simpler, trying to help with consistency. ¡­ It wasn¡¯t anything drastic right away. Just little by little to simplify everything.¡±

Lombard is coming off a first full season that was better than his traditional stats. He slashed just .232/.344/.348 with five homers and 30 steals in 81 games with Single-A Tampa, but his exit velocities and chase rates all ran above-average. The Yankees promoted him to High-A Hudson Valley in early August and got him 29 regular-season games in the South Atlantic League and six more in the postseason.

One constant no matter where he¡¯s played has been the quality of Lombard¡¯s defense. His above-average speed would give him good range regardless, but he also brings good actions and hands, leading scouts to believe he could be a plus defender at shortstop. But it¡¯s not just the physical tools that Lombard wants to bring to the dirt.

¡°There are a lot of very simple things that go unnoticed, like how you go after balls or how you decide to play balls,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but it¡¯s something all the really good players are good at, guys like Andrelton Simmons or Brandon Crawford. The decisions they make on the baseball field, how they¡¯re going to play balls, how their hands work -- those are some things I¡¯ve picked up on a lot over the years of watching baseball and watching really good infielders.¡±

Lombard¡¯s hot offensive start -- he¡¯s now 5-for-17 with a 1.015 OPS through nine games entering Sunday -- combined with that glovework have many wondering in the Bronx and beyond just how quickly he can reach the bigs for real, especially with third base an open question these days. That¡¯s getting way ahead of matters for a teenage prospect in a contending organization, but that can be life in pinstripes. Sometimes, there are caveats. Sometimes, there are heavy expectations.

¡°You always hear from people now and then,¡± Lombard said, ¡°but I try to stay focused on my work here, learn from the guys here and stick to my process. That [attention] isn't going to affect my day-to-day.¡±

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

Something to prove/Something new: Spencer Jones

It¡¯s a two-fer when it comes to Spring Training Report categories for Yanks No. 3 prospect Spencer Jones.

The 23-year-old outfielder¡¯s talent is undeniable. At 6-foot-6, he uses every inch of that frame to hit the ball hard, and he¡¯s faster than many would expect at first look, recording 68 steals combined over his last two seasons, while also covering ground defensively as a center fielder. But his 200 strikeouts for Double-A Somerset were second-most in the Minors, and his 40 percent swing-and-miss rate was another clear sign something needed to change.

So Jones got to work this offseason on implementing adjustments that might make him more athletic in the box and get his long levers moving more efficiently.

¡°Most of the changes I¡¯m starting to make this season -- and going back into this offseason -- is when it¡¯s time for me to swing, I want to be able to move my body as a unit,¡± he said on MLB Network¡¯s 30 Clubs in 15 Days series. ¡°In times past, I would get into situations where I¡¯d tell myself to swing and I¡¯d have too much slack in my body. When I¡¯d swing, I¡¯d be late, behind it, under it -- any of those things. So I¡¯m trying to get in better control of the positions that I¡¯m in to see the ball.¡±

The left-handed slugger looks hunched over in his setup now. He says that¡¯s because it¡¯s been the best trigger for his athleticism to this point, but he suspects the stance might change as he grows more comfortable in the box. His adjustments helped him to start 6-for-14 with two homers and two doubles through his first six games, and he told MLB.com¡¯s Bryan Hoch he feels ¡°dangerous¡± at the dish again.

Camp standout: Will Warren

The Yankees¡¯ starting pitching depth is already being challenged with last year¡¯s Rookie of the Year winner Luis Gil out with a right lat strain and Gerrit Cole undergoing tests following right elbow discomfort. Perhaps luckily for New York, No. 5 prospect Will Warren has enjoyed a strong spring with only one run allowed, 11 strikeouts and two walks over three appearances (eight innings), all of which have been in Statcast parks.

Warren has touched 95.8 mph this spring but has generally been in the 93-94 range with his four-seamer and sinker, throwing both almost equally. His 82-85 mph sweeper continues to look like his nastiest offering, one that averages above 3,000 rpm and close to 20 inches of horizontal movement.

The 25-year-old was better than his 10.32 ERA over six MLB appearances (five starts) last year, and his combination of stuff and spring results should keep him in the rotation conversation given the injury news.