George Lombard Jr., considered the top prospect for the New York Yankees and ranked 32nd overall by MLB Pipeline, is among 27 non-roster players invited to the team’s Spring Training this year. The Yankees announced the full list of invitees on Thursday, bringing the total number of players scheduled to report to camp to 67.
Lombard, age 20, played in 132 games last season across High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He recorded a .235 batting average with a .367 on-base percentage and a .381 slugging percentage. His performance included 32 doubles, nine home runs, 49 RBIs, 87 walks, and 35 stolen bases. Lombard was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman commented on Lombard’s progress: “George is still in his development mode. He’s come a long way; he’s exciting, he’s got a lot of talent. The glove’s ahead of the bat. … He could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side.”
Other highly ranked prospects joining Lombard at camp include right-handed pitchers Carlos Lagrange (No. 2), Ben Hess (No. 6), Brendan Beck (No. 11), and left-hander Kyle Carr (No. 13).
The list of non-roster invitees covers several positions: fourteen pitchers—including Michael Arias and Harrison Cohen—four catchers such as Abrahan Gutierrez and Payton Henry, four infielders including Paul DeJong and Jonathan Ornelas, two outfielders Kenedy Corona and Duke Ellis, as well as three players who can play both infield and outfield roles.
