Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer breaks down organization's 2023 draft
DENVER – Once more, the Yankees chose a right-handed hitting high school shortstop with a Vanderbilt University commitment as their No. 1 draft pick.
George Lombard Jr. is this year’s Anthony Volpe of sorts.
“There’s a lot of things that intrigue us about him,’’ Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said of Lombard Jr., taken 26th overall in this week’s MLB First Year Player Draft.
George Lombard Jr.'s credentials
In scouting the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Lombard Jr., from Gulliver Prep School near Miami, the Yankees were drawn to his athleticism and his family history.
His father, George Lombard Sr., was a big-league outfielder with four teams from 1998-2006, and his mother was an elite soccer player and gymnast.
Lombard Jr. is also a highly skilled soccer player, with the tools to get to the majors as a shortstop, according to Oppenheimer.
Add in his power bat and contact skills, topped off “with elite makeup,’’ and you get a picture of why the Yankees gravitated toward Lombard Jr.
“The guy has grit, he doesn’t take any pitches off,’’ said Oppenheimer, calling him “a special prospect.’’
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The Anthony Volpe comparison
In 2019, the Yankees selected Watchung’s Volpe 30th overall from the Delbarton School and signed him away from his Vanderbilt commitment.
A half-year into his rookie MLB season, Volpe could be the shortstop at Yankee Stadium for a long time, but that didn’t prevent the organization from taking Lombard Jr.
Selecting late in the first round, the Yankees strategy was to pick “what we think is the best available (player),’’ said Oppenheimer. “And trying to stay in the middle of the field is important.’’
Athleticism at middle infielder and center field makes for easier transitions to other positions, but the Yanks see Lombard Jr. as a potential big-league shortstop.
As for the ability to sign Lombard Jr. and their other top draft picks, “I think we’re in a real good spot with most of our guys,’’ said Oppenheimer.
Two-way player Josh Tiedemann
Selected in the 13th round (402 overall), Josh Tiedemann from Arizona is a two-way player with a commitment to TCU.
“I think a lot of teams are becoming more open to it,’’ Oppenheimer said of drafting two-way players, adding that the Yankees are going to give the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Tiedemann a shot as both a right-handed pitcher and a third baseman.
“(If) we try this for three years (in the minors) and it works out both ways, great,’’ said Oppenheimer. “And if one way starts to work out better than the other, you move in that direction.’’
“Why not give him that opportunity to compete in both spots, that’s kind of the way we’re seeing it.’’
Yankees draft highlights
Third-round lefty Kyle Carr (97th overall) out of Palomar College, near San Diego, was the Yanks’ first pitcher chosen and he also plays the outfield.
“He can do both, but (he’s) leaned more toward being a pitcher only,’’ said Oppenheimer of the 6-foot-1, 175-pound control artist with a “Tom Glavine look’’ to his delivery and a promising slider.
Oklahoma State reliever Brian Hendry (10th round) is no relation to Yankees special assignment scout Jim Hendry, but the right-hander has “a big arm,’’ and he’s “one of those guys down in that part of the draft that we’ve had success with developing.’’
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Lefty-hitting fourth rounder Roc Riggio, an infielder also out of Oklahoma State, is an infielder with swagger and flair. Oppenheimer said the organization isn't playing on curtailing his style.
"He's a guy who the opposing team and the opposing fans are going to dislike, and his own teammates are going to love him because of how hard he plays the game and how intense he is, and how much he wants to win.''
Final analysis
In this draft, the Yankees forfeited their second and fifth round picks for signing free agent lefty Carlos Rodon, who received a qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants.
All told, the Yanks made 18 selections in the 20-round draft, taking 10 pitchers (two lefties), four infielders, three outfielders and one catcher.
“We had the second lowest pool money of any team in the draft,’’ said Oppenheimer, which led in part to selecting 14 college players. Only the Philadelphia Phillies had less draft capital.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees 2023 draft picks: Scouting director breaks down class
