George Lombard Jr. is getting an early education in what it means to wear pinstripes, and the lesson came from Derek Jeter.
The Yankees’ top prospect said he met with Jeter in January, months before his Triple-A debut and long before his first game in the Bronx. According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, the 21-year-old shortstop asked the Hall of Famer about life in the Yankees organization and about the majors in general. One piece of advice from the 14-time All-Star stood out above the rest: "be a stand-up dude."
"Whether that's in the clubhouse or with the media or the fans, whatever it is. Be authentic and be a good person," Lombard said Jeter told him, according to Kuty.
"It goes a long way, doing those little things. Whether that's always being upfront and honest or remembering people's names.
Just being an overall good human being. It keeps you grounded and keeps you humble and it allows you to keep doing the stuff on the field and producing on the field and helping out the team wherever you can, while keeping all the unnecessary distractions away."
That’s the kind of guidance Yankees fans love to hear, especially coming from one of the franchise’s defining figures. Lombard has already started his major league career under the microscope, and it hasn’t been a clean ride.
Through his first 32 MLB games, he’s hitting .218 (24-for-110) with three home runs and 11 RBIs. The defense, which has long been a selling point, hit a rough patch in August when he had an error in six straight games. His glove has looked better lately, but the early stretch in the majors has still brought its share of bumps.
For now, the Yankees are keeping Lombard at shortstop. Anthony Volpe was recently recalled to play second base for the first time in the majors after Jazz Chisholm Jr. went on the injured list, and New York’s alignment appears set there for the moment.
With the Yankees clinching a playoff spot on Monday, Lombard should get his first shot at October baseball in the Bronx soon enough.
In Other News...
George Lombard Jr. Just Gave Yankees Fans A Tough October Question
George Lombard Jr. gave the Yankees a timely lift in their 8-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, helping spark the rally that locked up a postseason berth and added another layer to a rookie season that has already made him hard to ignore. For a club that has spent much of the year balancing development with urgency, Lombards bat has been part of the upside, and it was on display again when the Yankees needed a push to finish the job.
The question now is whether the Yankees can trust the rest of his game when the games get bigger. Lombard has been inconsistent defensively, with multiple errors and even a six-game stretch in August where he misfired every night, but Aaron Boone has stayed publicly confident in his long-term potential. For a team heading into October, that leaves one familiar Yankees dilemma hanging in the air: how much runway do they give a rookie whose talent is obvious, even if the mistakes have not gone away? [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Got A Huge October Vote Of Confidence
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The appeal is obvious: when healthy, the Yankees can lean on a pitching staff and offense that executives believe can match up with anyone. Aaron Judge remains the headliner, and Cam Schlittler is among the names tied to the clubs upside, but the bigger question is whether New York can finally get enough of its key pieces on the field when October arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Rafael Devers Idea Fans Can't Ignore
Rafael Devers has already done enough this season to keep his name circulating well beyond San Francisco, and the Yankees are suddenly being mentioned as a possible landing spot as the offseason approaches. Buster Olney and Paul Hembekides floated the idea as a fit worth watching, pointing to Devers stronger offense and the simple reality that a bat like that tends to reshape any lineup conversation the minute it becomes available.
For the Yankees, the appeal goes beyond star power. There is a path to making the roster work with some positional shuffling, and the contract situation matters just as much as the production, especially with payroll always part of the equation in New York. The timing could also push the conversation forward quickly, since any major move before a projected lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement would give a front office less room to wait and see. [Read more 🡒]