The Yankees open a three-game set with the Houston Astros on Tuesday night in the Bronx, and their 21-year-old shortstop made sure nobody needed a reminder about whose building it is.
George Lombard Jr. posted a one-word message to Instagram ahead of the series, pairing “BX” with a top emoji. The post cleared 13,000 likes inside two hours, and teammates piled into the comments. Spencer Jones offered a nickname riff on the concrete jungle. The Yankees’ official account answered with three flame emojis.
For a player who has been in the majors for three weeks, it is a confident piece of self-promotion. It is also, so far, backed up by the numbers.
George Lombard Jr. Is Answering the Hype in the Bronx
Lombard debuted on August 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals and homered for his first big league hit. Through 17 games he is batting .288 with 17 hits, two home runs, five RBIs, 12 runs and a stolen base. That works out to a .755 OPS and a 111 OPS+, which puts him comfortably above league average at the plate.
The glove has been even better. Baseball Reference credits him with seven defensive runs saved across 154 innings at shortstop, the single biggest reason he has already banked 1.1 wins above replacement in under a month of work.
That defensive reputation is what got him to New York in the first place. The 26th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Gulliver Prep in Florida, Lombard hit .268 with a .405 on-base percentage, six homers and 10 steals at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the call came. He is the son of George Lombard Sr., the former big league outfielder who now works as Detroit’s bench coach.
The Derek Jeter comparisons have already started showing up in his mentions. Those are unfair to hang on anyone 17 games into a career, but the Bronx has never been a patient place, and the rookie does not appear bothered by the volume.
What the Astros Series Means for the Yankees Now
New York enters Tuesday at 74-56, second in the American League East and three and a half games back of Tampa Bay. It is still the best record of any AL club not currently leading a division, which leaves the Yankees holding the top wild card spot.
Houston arrives at 65-66 and second in the AL West, so this is a series New York should be winning. The roster is trending healthier, too, with Cody Bellinger back from the injured list and Core Jackson activated over the weekend.
Lombard has been hitting fifth or sixth in recent games, aggressive placement for a rookie infielder and a fair measure of how quickly Aaron Boone’s trust has grown. Spencer Jones has talked about the veteran advice steadying his own rookie season, and both young players are carrying real weight in a lineup that spent much of the summer short-handed.
Three with Houston, then four with Boston starting Friday. The Bronx is about to find out what the kid’s confidence is worth.