The New York Yankees are set to begin a series with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
However, ahead of the action, a shocking statistic surrounding rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. has left fans stunned through his first 11 MLB games since the Yankees called him up on Aug. 4 as the organization’s top prospect.
Lombard Jr. Stat
The 21-year-old infielder has looked great at the plate, showing a strong approach and working through some tough at-bats.
Yet, his poise and performance defensively have stood out the most.
In just 100 innings at the MLB level, Lombard Jr. already has an astonishing eight defensive runs saved. For comparison, Kansas City Royals All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. has also recorded eight DRS in 898 innings this season.
The Yankees rookie ranks tied for fourth in the majors, while one of his teammates, Jose Caballero, sits ahead of him with nine.
George Lombard Jr. has tallied +8 defensive runs saved through only 100 innings of play in 2026.
Only three MLB shortstops have more DRS than Lombard this season:
1. T. Walls: +16 (849.2 innings)
2. J. Caballero +9 (528 innings)
3. M. Winn +9 (1018.1 innings) pic.twitter.com/BSlsOuCVpE— Yanks Go Yard (@YanksGoYardFS) August 18, 2026
Lombard Jr. is currently on pace for 40 DRS per 1,000 innings. The next-closest shortstop in terms of a 1,000-inning pace is Atlanta Braves infielder Jim Jarvis with 17.4, according to The Yankee Report.
Yankees Fans React on Social Media
That pace already puts Lombard Jr. among the best defensive shortstops in MLB, and Yankees fans have understandably made sure to highlight his incredible start across social media.
“I’m not exaggerating here when I say he will be the best defensive SS in all of MLB for years to come,” a fan said.
Someone else added, “This should be a massive story right now. This is like if he had 12 homers already.”
Another person wrote, “This was confirmed? I thought it was a glitch, that is absurd.”
“Obviously a small sample size, but holy moly Lombard has been INCREDIBLE defensively,” one more fan commented.
George Lombard Jr. Stat Leaves New York Yankees Fans Stunned