Phillies All-Star pitcher just gassed up Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr.

George Lombard Jr. has checked another box on the path to becoming a major leaguer: Endorsement from an All-Star MLB pitcher. After making a Double-A rehab start, Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler spoke highly of Lombard after facing the shortstop prospect and allowing a double to him.

Wheeler complimented Lombard's bat path and said that the youngster was "taking good swings all night." Wheeler also joked that he hopes he doesn't have to face Lombard too much in the future.

Zack Wheeler just suggested George Lombard Jr. will excel in MLB with Yankees

Pessimistic (realistic?) Yankees fans would have told Wheeler that he has nothing to worry about, considering the Yanks aren't likely to throw Lombard into the Show soon. That doesn't mean Lombard doesn't clearly deserve a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He's destroying Double-A pitching through the first eight games of 2026, slashing .469/.528/.844 with two home runs and six doubles.

Lombard was inconsistent at the plate during spring training, but he did show signs here and there of offensive potential, including a big-boy home run off Garrett Crochet. Right out of the gate this regular season, though, Lombard has looked unstoppable with a bat in his hands, and the MLB universe is noticing.

George Lombard might look back on 2026 as a career-changing year

Whenever Lombard is promoted to Triple-A and, in turn, makes his MLB debut, we'll look back at these Wheeler remarks as a telling "milestone" along his upward journey. The road between joining an MLB organization as a teenager and later debuting as a big leaguer contains signs along the way that hint at a player's destiny. Those signs are beginning to pop up more and more around Lombard, and they suggest that he'll stick once he arrives at the highest level.

Lombard's glove is ready, as publicly noted by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. And as his hitting develops further, you can bet Anthony Volpe will be sweating a bit. While the Yankees have weirdly coddled Volpe up until now, discarding his special treatment in favor of unleashing Lombard at some point in the future would be a delightfully refreshing turn of events.

Even better, the rise of Lombard could allow the Yankees to (gasp!) trade Volpe if and when his value suffers an uptick from its currently bleak status. This is all speculative, of course. Lombard hasn't proven he can excel in Triple-A the way he's nearly proven to be a graduate of Double-A. Volpe's return could lead to the Yankees doubling down on their belief in his long-term outlook.

Here's another idea: Why can't Volpe and Lombard co-exist on the Yankees in the near future? Lombard is capable of playing third base, and is likely a better MLB hitter than Ryan McMahon at the present moment.

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