George Lombard News: Not overmatched at Double-A

Lombard is slashing .215/.336/.362 with eight home runs, 22 steals, a 13.5 percent walk rate and a 26 percent strikeout rate in 102 games for Double-A Somerset.

The third-youngest qualified hitter at Double-A (behind Sebastian Walcott and Nelson Rada), Lombard makes for a tough evaluation, as his youth can generally be used to explain away his shortcomings. He is a career .236 hitter with a career .359 OBP, and he's managed 14 home runs in 250 career games while always being one of the youngest players in his league. Getting the ball in the air isn't a problem for Lombard, and his 39 percent groundball rate and 44.9 percent pull rate are encouraging marks. The passage of time could lead to Lombard naturally accessing significantly more power in a year or two as his body matures, and he's a no-doubt shortstop with above-average speed and on-base ability. The righty-hitting Lombard could get another aggressive assignment to Triple-A next year before turning 21 in June.