How excited should Yankee fans be about George Lombard Jr?
The New York Yankees desperately needed an energy boost to this lineup. They've stayed afloat in the time without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger, but the offense has completely gone flat. Sometimes this time of year a team can use a jolt, and calling up your number one prospect certainly helps with that.
George Lombard Jr was one of the only prospects the Yankees have that they said was untouchable at the trade deadline this year, and for good reason. He's gotten off to a great start at the plate, looking very poised while doing so. He's demonstrated incredible patience and knowledge of the strike zone for a young player. The best part about Lombard Jr is, his bat isn't even his best asset.
Lombard Jr has already made a highlight reel of defensive plays at shortstop in only a handful of games. The shortstop position for the Yankees has not been great defensively this season, with Caballero and Volpe combining for over 10 errors this year. If Lombard Jr can continue to play defense the way he has, it won't even matter if his bat is average, he will still have a huge impact.
The best part about Lombard Jr may not even be a physical tool, his approach and mindset seem to be exactly what the Yankees need right now.
It can be very difficult for someone who's a rookie to give other players with more experience advice, but to George the only thing that matters is helping the team be better. He's shown all the reasons to have Yankee fans incredibly excited about his potential, as he is only going to get better as the years go on.
