Yankees promoting George Lombard Jr. is first real dose of pressure for Anthony Volpe

On Sunday night, just hours after the New York Yankees dropped another series in disappointing fashion (this time to the Tampa Bay Rays), the organization promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. to Double-A Somerset.

The 2023 first-round pick is the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees' farm system and gained momentum after his impressive spring training. He logged his first full season of professional ball last year, appearing in 110 total games between Single-A Tampa (81) and High-A Hudson Valley (29).

Outside of his stolen bases and defense, however, Lombard didn't exactly turn heads. His offense was lagging and some began to ask questions as to why the Yankees drafted yet another shortstop when they had other glaring needs. But the offseason seemingly changed everything.

Lombard is hitting .329/.496/.488 with 22 runs scored, one home run, 13 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 24 games to begin 2025. He's seen a drastic improvement in his contact and walk rates. He's made just one error in 190 innings at shortstop while also playing a couple of games at second and third base.

Though he's still far off from his MLB debut, one could say this promotion is the first dose of genuine pressure for Anthony Volpe.

Yankees News: Top prospect George Lombard Jr. promoted to Double-A Somerset

Could that be a bit of an exaggeration? Sure. But remember, before Volpe debuted in 2023, the Yankees willingly passed on an historic shortstop free agent class and opted for a stopgap option in Isiah Kiner-Falefa. It killed their window of contention at the time as they cleared the path for an impressive prospect with no major league experience.

Volpe is very much a talented player, but he's not Corey Seager. Dansby Swanson or Carlos Correa. Instead of the Yankees figuring out a way to get creative by adding an all-world talent while working Volpe into the mix, they anointed a 20-year-old as their shortstop of the future before he even reached Triple-A.

Since then, the position has been his, without a single interruption. The Yankees have given him the runway and leeway to make mistakes and go through his growing pains. He's never been benched for performance issues. He's never been given a breather in the midst of a slump. And since last year, some fans are growing frustrated with his progress.

While he's won a Gold Glove and is certainly a good defender, he doesn't feel like an elite option in that department, regardless of what the metrics say. Some also might say he looks improved on the offensive end to start 2025, but he's still struggling to make contact and his strikeouts remain a major concern. His production also comes in aggressive, short spurts while his agonizing struggles prolong for weeks.

We'll see how Year 3 goes for Volpe when all is said and done. If he can find some consistency on offense and avoid making late-game defensive gaffes (he's already made two this year to cost the team), then he could put himself in a favorable position to truly break out for his remainder of time under team control.

If not? Well, if Lombard Jr. starts to light up Double-A and forces the Yankees' hand to bump him to Triple-A by the end of the season, then the pressure could start to take hold for Volpe, who has yet to experience a shred of it when it comes to job security.