WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — It wasn’t too long ago that the Hudson Valley Renegades featured a bright, young, and immensely talented shortstop ticketed for stardom with the squad’s parent club: the New York Yankees.
That was in 2021, and that player is now a mainstay in the Yanks lineup.
The High-A affiliate for the Bronx Bombers is currently led by a player with a very similar profile, 19-year-old George Lombard Jr.
Lombard Jr. was a first-round pick in 2023 and has soared up prospect ranking boards, including MLB.com, which currently has the son of a former major league player and current Detroit Tigers bench coach, as the Yankees’ top prospect.
The slick-fielding, bilingual (his mother is of Cuban descent) Lombard Jr. may soon be on a collision course with Anthony Volpe, that ex-Renegade shortstop who popped 15 home runs in 213 at bats in ‘21, for the coveted shortstop position in New York.
It may be premature to envision a competition there, but that enviable “problem” may also become moot thanks to Lombard Jr.’s versatility.
“I’ve played shortstop my whole life; I love playing shortstop, but I pride myself on being a good baseball player,” Lombard Jr. told USA TODAY Sports. “I’ve never played outfield before, but I am confident that if I had to go play outfield tomorrow, I could figure it out.”
Lombard Jr. can also play other infield positions – having already seen time at second and third this year.
“We drafted him as a shortstop. I think that is probably where he stays, (but) you never know with this game,” said Renegades manager James Cooper. “George is a baseball player. If he had to be a catcher, he could be a catcher. If he had to be a center-fielder, he’d be a center-fielder.”
While there may be some discussion regarding his future position, the South Florida native, who according to Cooper, “got after it in the weight room,” is eliminating all questioning regarding his performance at the plate.
“He’s a lot stronger,” said Tom DeAngelis, the Renegades’ hitting coach. “He’s hitting the ball really well; he’s making great decisions.”
The strength and know-how have translated into strong numbers early on.
Lombard Jr.’s exit velocity has clocked in at over 110 mph, and he’s batting .306 with nine steals, 20 walks to 18 strikeouts and a .956 OPS entering Monday.
It amounts to a great deal of optimism from both Yankees fans, and those who witness his prowess each day.
“In terms of his potential at the plate – it’s really staggering,” said Joe Vasile, Hudson Valley’s play-by-play broadcaster. “What I have been so impressed with is his natural power to right field and to right-centerfield. And, I think in Yankee Stadium that’s the kind of thing that could make him(a) 25-30 home run per year guy.”
While the youngster continues to garner accolades, including receiving a huge compliment from Aaron Judge during spring training, Lombard Jr. is similar to most teenagers.
He loves sushi, pizza, and the tacos at Hudson Taco, listens to hip hop, reggae, Spanish music, and Salsa, and especially enjoys performers including J. Cole, old school New York rappers, and Celia Cruz.
But it’s his maturity that makes Lombard Jr., who turns 20 on June 2, so unique.
During a recent interview with USA TODAY Sports, Lombard Jr. mentioned multiple times that he is “staying where my feet are and staying present.” Not an easy task for someone so young and talented, and for a player with such lofty expectations.
“He never looks like he’s out of control on the field,” said Vasile. “He never looks like he’s overly emotional; just kind of cool, calm, and collected all of the time. And he’s very much the same off the field too.”
According to Lombard Jr., that ability to be laser focused on the task at hand is a direct reflection on the tutelage he was provided by his parents.
“I give a lot of that credit to my dad and my mom too,” said Lombard Jr. “She probably doesn’t get as much credit as she deserves – probably never will. She has just been such a staple in my life.”
His father George Lombard Sr. played 144 MLB games from 1998-2006 with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Washington Nationals before beginning his coaching career, serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first-base coach from 2016-2020 and Detroit’s bench coach since 2021.
The younger Lombard’s ability to excel on the field, serve as a team leader, and expertly handle the attention – all at such a young age, has impressed just about everyone he’s come in contact with this season – including his teammates.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Renegades infielder Jose Colmenares. “This guy is out of this planet.”
The Renegades season began a few short weeks ago, but if Lombard Jr. continues the trajectory he’s been on, there soon may be calls to promote him to Double-A Somerset.
But while Lombard Jr. says a callup to Somerset this season would be “great,” the eventual goal is to play at what legendary sports talk show host Art Rust Jr. called, “the big ball orchard in the South Bronx.”
The timetable for that is fluid, but if the opportunity does present itself, Lombard Jr. knows it will be memorable for numerous reasons, including the famous “Roll Call” chant initiated by the “Bleacher Creatures”.
“It’s a special feeling – that energy, the passion,” said Lombard Jr. “I can’t speak from experience, but from what I’ve heard it’s something that you feel deep down and it sticks with you. I couldn’t tell you how it’s going to feel, but I can tell you that I would be pumped for it and really excited to get there one day.”
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