Son of Tigers bench coach goes to Yankees at No. 26 in MLB Draft

George Lombard was plenty interested in the Tigers’ first-round pick, but forgive him if his attention was divided.

George Lombard Jr., the son of the Tigers’ bench coach, was taken No. 26 overall by the New York Yankees on Sunday. Lombard Jr. is a high-school shortstop from Florida.

Harold Reynolds, MLB Network analyst, compared him to Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers.

“The work ethic, and just the body time and body size,” Reynolds said.

Lombard Jr. is 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.

Dan O’Dowd, former GM of the Colorado Rockies, liked Reynolds’ comp.

“Great comparison there,” O’Dowd said on MLB Network. “You nailed it.”

Lombard Jr.’s best tool is the bat, according to MLB.com’s pre-draft analysis. He hits right-handed.

MLB.com’s scouting report on Lombard Jr., 18, read: “The younger Lombard already looks the part at 6-foot-3 with a pro body that stands out among high-school players. The right-handed hitter has a ton of raw pop to tap into and he showed it off at times last summer, though it came with some swing-and-miss concerns and some inconsistent at-bats along the way. Lombard has a long stride and is better runner underway, but he’s worked to improve his overall speed.”

MLB.com’s analysis questions whether he sticks at shortstop, or moves as he moves up the pro ladder.

Slot value for the pick is $3.065 million.

George Lombard played in the major leagues from 1998 through 2006, and has been on the Tigers’ staff under AJ Hinch since 2021. Lombard was away from the Tigers on Sunday so that he could spend the day with family.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984