Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. just put exclamation point on hot 2025 start

New York Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. started off 2025 by embarking on the first steps of a meteoric rise. He starred at spring training, staying poised during his time with the big-league club and even styling on a few homers. He flew up Baseball America's final preseason Top 100 Prospect list, ranking 38th after barely cracking the previous edition (just 11 spots behind Jasson Domínguez, whose prospect status has finally expired).

All that was left for Lombard Jr. was to continue his momentum with a hot start in the games that actually counted. The Yankees sent him to High-A Hudson Valley to begin his season, the same place he wrapped 2024 after a tepid first full season with the Tampa Tarpons. Lombard Jr.'s tools remained loud in the eyes of scouts, but it was hard to convince folks he was worth their immediate attention when he hit .232 with a .692 OPS (even as a teenager) in the Florida State League.

Now, the pressure's on the kid to turn the tables himself. He showed up to camp with an enhanced physique, and suddenly, his stance (and soaring homers carrying out to deep left field with a flick of the wrist) began to look a little Carlos Correa-ish.

On Tuesday night, Lombard Jr., still 19, smashed his first regular season home run of 2025, finishing the evening with a .333 average and .975 OPS in 9 games at the level. He tacked on another hit in his 10th game Wednesday to maintain the sparkling average for one more day. Maybe that promotion to Somerset is coming sooner than we thought.

Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. cements hot start with first home run of 2025 with High-A Hudson Valley

It's perfectly alright if the only steps Lombard Jr. makes this season are incremental. No rational fan expects him to sprint to the big leagues anytime soon. Maybe next year. If we're lucky. Not this one.

Still, gaudy minor-league numbers and a Futures Game appearance ... that isn't so much to ask for, is it? Sometimes, fair or not, it feels like the Yankees' most vaunted prospects are fine in the minors, while other teams' top names put up jaw-dropping counting stats or exit velocities that truly raise their profiles (looking at you, Roman Anthony). It would be nice if Lombard Jr. were to have one of those superior seasons, if for no other reason than placing a feather in our collective cap.

Tuesday definitely helped. Ideally, it's just the start.