After lifetime around baseball, Jacob Lombard begins his own journey with Miami Marlins

DETROIT, Mich. — When the Detroit Tigers visited Yankee Stadium just over a week ago, the trip was like any other for the Lombard family. Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr. was followed around by his son Jacob, who took batting practice. The family — Jacob, Judy and George Sr. (Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. was supposed to join, but was in Tampa rehabbing) — had a nice dinner together.

That’s when it hit George Sr.  — it was the last time Jacob, an 18-year-old and No. 14 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, would come to the field with him. Suddenly, he found himself caught up in memories of when Jacob was waist-high and following him around various ballparks.

Like at Dodger Stadium, when George Sr. would tell him: “Jacob, you know what day it is. (Clayton) Kershaw’s pitching.” And Jacob responded: “I know, Papi. If I see him, I walk the other way.”

Or when George Sr. would say, “If you start crying at the field, you’re not going to be able to go with me the next day.” So Jacob would bite back tears if he was hit by a ball.

“It’s sad in a way,” George Jr. said about re-living those memories, “but also, just letting him fly and letting him grow up and be himself.”

That journey will likely begin with the Marlins. The son of a major-leaguer turned long-time coach and brother of the Yankees top prospect, Jacob has perhaps one of the best pedigrees in this draft class. He has trailed his father through minor-league and major-league ballparks. Now, the field could be his office, too.

Jacob was ranked 20th overall in The Athletic’s top 100 ranking ahead of the draft. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Keith Law said Jacob has some of the best pure tools in this draft class, looking like a long-term shortstop — though he has struggled to hit better velocity when he’s seen it.

Jacob is very athletic, a trait that might stem from his multi-sport background. He played baseball and soccer through high school, along with competing in football and gymnastics when he was younger.

He won multiple state titles as a soccer player at South Florida’s Gulliver Prep. The sport, Jacob said, was his “first love.” He credited his time playing soccer for improving his leadership skills, sharpening traits such as change of direction, awareness and strengthening him mentally.

“The break from strenuous summer (travel ball is helpful),” Jacob said. “A lot of times people are playing baseball all year round — spring, summer season, fall season. So three months of getting my mind to a different focus is pretty cool.”

George Sr.’s wife, Judy, was a gymnast, so they put Jacob in the sport when he was young. He eventually stopped so he could focus on baseball and soccer, but the flexibility has stayed. Dad laughed as he pulled up recent videos of Jacob crawling in a back-bend and doing back- and front-flips — feats that would be difficult for anyone, much less a teenager that measures 6-foot-3.

“The foundation you get from gymnastics is just an elite way to teach body awareness,” George Sr. said. “All these kids (playing baseball), they’ll catch up with how to throw a ball, how to hit a ball. But when you learn to stop and start your body and avoid being tackled and stuff like that — it’s just such a good foundation.”

Much of Jacob’s skill-set obviously also comes from time spent around and watching the game. When Jacob was a toddler, his father took on roles with the Red Sox organization. Since then, George Sr. said he has prioritized balancing work and family life. If he was in Portland and Lowell, Mass. for eight days, he said, his family would be around him for four of those days.

One of the biggest lessons George Sr. has imparted, Jacob said, is being curious. He’s tried to take advantage of it while wandering big-league ballparks. When around their father’s teams, George Jr. and Jacob have seen plenty to replicate — how players like Corey Seager and Justin Turner field, how Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson play, swings to imitate at home (both brothers bat right-handed).

At home, Jacob watches all of George Jr.’s games, the Tigers and whatever else he can get his hands on.

“I’m a baseball rat,” Jacob said. “I’ll throw on the Yankees game. I’ll throw on the Dodgers. Any team that has a ton of talented players — I want to watch them.”

The chapter of trailing George Sr. through major- and minor-league ballparks may be coming to a close. But now Jacob has a new dream — one he said he told many teams about during his meetings at the MLB Draft Combine.

“Recently, it hit me that my brother and I have an opportunity to play on the same field at a high level,” Jacob said. “Whether it’s big leagues, minor leagues — if you ask me, it’s going to be the big leagues at one point or another. Eventually, we’ll be on the same field. Maybe playing together, maybe playing against each other.

“I still dream and go to sleep thinking about the time when I’m hitting a home run and looking at my brother at short while I round second.”