SEATTLE — The Yankees, with two fewer picks this year, have to make each one count.
That understanding brought them to high school shortstop George Lombard Jr. with the 26th pick in the first round on Sunday night at the First-Year Player Draft at T-Mobile Park.
Lombard, the son of the former major league outfielder (and now bench coach for the Tigers), is a 6-foot-3 infielder from Gulliver Prep in Florida.
Lombard is committed to Vanderbilt — a locale the Yankees apparently raid — and will need to be swayed away from college.
Anthony Volpe also was committed to Vanderbilt in 2019 before the Yankees went over slot to persuade the New Jerseyan to turn pro.
Last year’s top pick, outfielder Spencer Jones, spent three years at Vanderbilt.
It is unlikely the Yankees would select Lombard if they were not confident they would sign him.
The Yankees lost a second-round pick and fifth-rounder as part of the penalty for signing Carlos Rodon, whom the Giants had given a qualifying offer in the offseason.
Losing the picks brought down the Yankees’ bonus pool, meaning they only have $5,299,400 — the Phillies are the only team with a lower total — to use to sign their selections.
The Yankees’ system can use replenishing. Brian Cashman & Co. continually have plucked from their farm system to improve the big-league roster, which has left their prospect base short.
At last year’s deadline alone, the Yankees shipped away eight prospects — including seven pitchers — to land Andrew Benintendi, Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino and Scott Effross.
The Yankees’ top five prospects (according to MLB Pipeline) are position players, but their pitching ranks are generally deeper.
The Yankees have not taken a pitcher with their top pick since Clarke Schmidt in 2017.
They chose catcher Anthony Siegler in 2018, Volpe in 2019, catcher Austin Wells in 2020, shortstop Trey Sweeney in 2021 and Jones in 2022.
