Lombard Jr. Is Earning His Keep

It’s honestly a little comical how the New York Yankees keep trying to roll out the red carpet for the “Anthony Volpe is back” storyline in the media. You’d think he’s been lighting up the minors for weeks. Instead, he’s barely played, had a bunch of off days, and logged just 26 at-bats. Yes, a .308 average looks great—until you remember that over 26 at-bats, a couple of bloop singles can turn you into Ted Williams overnight.

But sure, let’s keep polishing the numbers like they’re carved in stone.

Then comes the punchline: the Somerset Patriots announce his move up to AAA, and somehow we’re supposed to believe fans are desperate to see him back in the Bronx. If that’s the case, someone forgot to tell… well, the fans.

Because on that very same day, George Lombard Jr. gets promoted—and suddenly the reaction is completely different. Not forced excitement. Real excitement.

From the New York Yankees Community, the quotes say it all:

“Wow. Can’t say he hasn’t earned it. Good for him.”

 “Makes sense, he was doing really well in AA.”

“Yankees are moving different rn, it’s incredible.”

“I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s up at the Major League level.”

That’s not hype—that’s momentum.

And it’s backed up by actual performance. Lombard Jr. put up a .312/.400/.571 slash line through 20 games, with a 1.009 OPS that had him near the top of the system. He even took Zack Wheeler deep for a 395-foot homer, just to make sure nobody thought it was a fluke.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are still trying to sell potential with Volpe, while Lombard Jr. is out here delivering results. One feels like a marketing campaign; the other feels like a promotion that couldn’t come fast enough.

Even the organization seems to be shifting, at least a little. Ben Rice already forced his way into relevance by producing, and Lombard Jr. looks like he’s next in line to do the same. It’s almost like performance is finally winning arguments over projections.

As for Volpe—you can point to injuries, timing, development curves, whatever you want. But eventually, production has to show up. The Yankees may still want him to be the answer, but right now, the louder answer is coming from someone else.

And if Lombard Jr. keeps this up, they won’t just hear the noise—they’ll have to act on it.