Yankees predicted to replace Ryan McMahon with 20-year-old top prospect before All-Star break initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees have loads of causes to be excited in regards to the group in 2026, with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole’s return two of the most important causes to look ahead to 2026.
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But when it comes to youthful gamers like Carlos Lagrange, Spencer Jones, and Jasson Dominguez, they’re starting the season within the minor leagues and never the Majors. However, that keep won’t be for lengthy.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic is predicting that the Yankees will name up a unique prospect, their top infielder who’s simply 20-years-old, George Lombard Jr., before the All-Star break to replace Ryan McMahon at third base.
Yankees predicted to name up Lombard before All-Star break
“Yankees’ top prospect George Lombard Jr. is called up before the All-Star break and becomes the everyday third baseman for New York for the remainder of the season,” Bowden predicts.
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This prediction from Bowden is a daring one. Lombard is a enjoyable younger prospect who’s starting his season within the minor leagues, like the remainder of the top Yankees prospects.
But there’s a lot to like in regards to the younger infielder. He’s solely 20 years previous, and whereas his spring coaching wasn’t excellent, with a .179 batting common and a .717 OPS, his manufacturing within the minors has been encouraging sufficient.
More: Luis Gil sent down to minor leagues in strange Yankees roster move
He had a .235 batting common final season with a .748 OPS, and he is flashed some potential as a big-time base-stealer, with 39 steals in 2024 and 35 in 2025.
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This prediction from Bowden would imply that Lombard has an unimaginable begin to the minor league season, adequate that, mixed with the struggles at third base from McMahon, it leads to a promotion.
This could be a barely bitter-sweet final result for the Yankees, in that McMahon, a giant trade-deadline pickup final season, did not pan out.
But, if Lombard, their 20-year-old infield prospect, seems to be a top quality Major Leaguer as Bowden predicts, such a disappointment from McMahon could be a worthy trade-off.
