ST. PETERSBURG — The Yankees arrived in the American League Division Series with more than a sweep of the Red Sox behind them. They brought two rookies who have quickly become part of the October heartbeat: outfielder Spencer Jones and shortstop George Lombard Jr.
With Aaron Judge unavailable, New York has needed contributions from unexpected corners of the roster. Jones and Lombard have answered that call, joining a younger group that also includes right-hander Cam Schlittler, a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award, and Ben Rice, who set a personal best with 41 home runs this season.
Game 2 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET, with TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max carrying the broadcast. For Jones and Lombard, it is another first in a season packed with them — new parks, major league adjustments, rough patches and the first taste of a postseason clubhouse.
Back in late July, Jones was already considering how he might look at this rookie season years from now. He said the memories would be built around the new experiences, from facing quality opponents to handling both success and failure. Whatever the game looks like five years down the road, he said he expects to be proud of this season.
There was plenty to remember in the Wild Card Series against Boston. Lombard had three hits in the opening game, then delivered another defining moment in Game 2. Jones struck out in the sixth inning but never stopped running when the pitch skipped away. He reached on the wild pitch, stole second and scored when Lombard singled, helping ignite a six-run inning that pushed the Yankees through the sweep.
Jones said he grew up hearing that hustle creates opportunities, and that play was a clean example. Lombard later celebrated the series win by pouring sparkling wine over Jones, saying his teammate’s calm “chill bird” approach has been a useful model.
Two different routes to the same clubhouse
Jones, the Yankees’ first-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft, arrived with the kind of physical profile that invited comparisons to Judge. At 6-foot-7, the left-handed hitter was viewed as a possible version of that power-and-athleticism package from the other side of the plate. The path was not always smooth. High strikeout totals followed him through the Minors, but the 25-year-old remade his swing this season, adopting a setup that recalls Shohei Ohtani’s stance.
Manager Aaron Boone has been encouraged less by any single adjustment than by Jones’ ability to prepare and react. Boone said Jones enters games with a plan, understands his own game and has shown the confidence to make changes when needed. He also pointed to the outfielder’s relaxed Southern California demeanor as a trait that has helped him handle the moment.
Lombard’s climb was more direct, though no less striking. The Yankees picked him in the first round a year after Jones, in the 2023 Draft. He began this season at Double-A Somerset, moved to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and then, early in August, became New York’s regular shortstop at just 21 years old.
He homered in his major league debut, then had to work through a rare defensive skid in which he made an error in six straight games. Lombard entered the postseason looking much more like the dependable shortstop the Yankees believe he can be.
Jones said he and Lombard have known each other for years, dating to their time on the Himes back fields in Tampa. What once felt like a prospect-side dream has become a shared role on a club trying to keep its season alive deep into October. Lombard said coming through the Yankees’ system carries special meaning, especially when the opportunity comes on the sport’s largest stage.
Boone sees a player who was prepared for the environment long before he reached it. Lombard is the son of Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr., and Boone said that lifelong exposure to baseball shows in the rookie’s habits. He praised Lombard’s routine, his enthusiasm for the unseen daily work and his willingness to embrace the unglamorous parts of development alongside his natural talent.
Their emergence is also a nod to the people who identified and developed them. Jones singled out Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting, who led the drafting effort for both players. Boone credited Kevin Reese and the player-development staff for supplying solutions during a season in which injuries have tested the roster.
Schlittler put it simply: a player drafted by the Yankees wants to remain one for a long time, and he believes Jones and Lombard are committed to doing the daily work required to reach that goal.
Jones is not treating a Wild Card sweep as an ending. He said the club understands that its postseason run is only beginning, just as his and Lombard’s careers are. The celebration was real, but so is the next assignment. For the Yankees, the future has arrived early — and it is already taking the field in October.
