Sunday Notes: George Lombard Jr. is Dialing In His Mindset and Swing

George Lombard Jr. is bound for The Bronx — or maybe Motown? According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees’ top-rated prospect is being targeted by the Tigers in a potential trade for Tarik Skubal. Swap or not, the 21-year-old shortstop has a bright future. A first-round pick in 2023, Lombard Jr. has come to the plate 287 times this season between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and is slashing .258/.387/.446 with eight home runs and a 124 wRC+. Moreover, he was scorching the ball prior to being placed on the IL with sprained fingers on his glove hand this past Thursday. Over his previous eight games he had gone 11-for-30 with seven doubles and a pair of round-trippers.

How has the son of former MLB outfielder, and current Detroit Tigers bench coach, George Lombard changed since I interviewed him late in the 2024 season?

“From a physical standpoint, the stance and setup are a little different,” Lombard Jr. told me last month. “But it’s more the mental side. Compared to then, I have a more complete understanding of my swing, how my body moves, my tendencies, and what I need to do to stay in a good place. Most of the change has been mental maturity.”

Asked to elaborate on the physical, he replied that he has changed his hand positioning in an effort to get to ”the firing spot” more efficiently. That adjustment came over the offseason.

“They had been up higher, kind of behind my head, and now they’re a little bit lower and away from my body,” Lombard Jr. explained. “That gives me more space to get into my load. I’m giving myself a little room off my body so that I can move and not feel stuck, close to my hip. Technically, my hands are a little bit further from the launch spot, but it allows me to get my load off more consistently. The rhythm is also easier when I have more fluidity.”

Our 2024 conversation had included the youngster saying he’d had a loftier swing path in high school, and that becoming flatter at the top of the zone, and more adjustable overall, was something he was working toward. He’s continued in that vein. Being on-plane, more direct to the oncoming pitch, remains a primary goal.

“My biggest focus right now is a mindset where I’m thinking line drives,” he told me. “I’m naturally going to get the ball in the air with my path, so I’m always thinking ‘level to the pitcher’s head‘ — low line drives, with everything kind of working from there. When I’m going well, I’m making hard contact in the air. It’s about doing that while also being able to get to balls at the top of the zone.”

And again, mental maturity has been paramount.

“The most important part is understanding my swing better, as opposed to any physical changes,” said Lombard Jr. “Physical changes don’t really mean anything if the approach and mindset doesn’t mesh with it. Obviously, the mechanics are important, the swing is important, but once the swing is in a good place you need to have a good approach to go with it. That’s probably been the most important thing for me, dialing in the approach, dialing in the mindset and the plan. You need to have your plan and swing working in the same direction.”

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Gus Bell went 16 for 31 against Jim Wilson.

Buddy Bell went 16 for 37 against LaMarr Hoyt.

David Bell went 14 for 36 against Steve Trachsel.

Bret Boone went 13 for 39 against Esteban Loaiza.

Bob Boone went 15 for 37 against Mike Boddicker.

Ray Boone went 15 for 35 against Leo Kiely.

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As Ben Clemens broke down in fine detail a few weeks ago, Louis Varland is having a fantastic season. As of today, the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander has 15 saves to go with a 0.86 ERA, a 1.48 FIP, and a 35.7% strikeout rate over 37 appearances comprising 42 innings. He’s been nothing short of dominant.

Despite my colleague’s having recently addressed his success, I made it a point to talk to Varland this past week at Fenway Park. Five years after I’d first spoken to the then-Minnesota Twins farmhand, he was equal parts amiable and blunt.

Asked how he compares to the raw prospect I’d interacted with during his time in the low minors, the 28-year-old righty said he is “a lot different.” Elaborating, he told me that he is “a smarter pitcher; more of a pitcher than a thrower, but not by much.” He also referenced an augmented arsenal. Whereas he’d then had a fastball, a slider, and “somewhat of a changeup,” he now has both four- and two-seam fastballs, a slider, a curveball, and a much-improved changeup.

Our ensuing exchange went as follows:

What is your best pitch?

“I don’t know. It depends on the batter.”

Do you know which one grades out as the best?

“You’re the FanGraphs guy. I’m the thrower. While I understand that stuff, I don’t pay much mind to it. Everybody has their own algorithm to spit out grade numbers. It varies by who you ask, what my best is.”

Do you consider yourself a power pitcher?

“No. I would just say I’m a relief pitcher.”

But you are trying to miss bats, right?

“Oh, yeah. That’s the name of the game.”

Subsequently asked what has changed since he came over from the Twins at last summer’s trade deadline, Varland responded by saying that was a good question. (Truth be told, our conversation, which included more than is being included here, wasn’t nearly as contentious as what the above might suggest).

“They taught me a variation of a changeup that I’ve slowly become more comfortable with,” Varland told me. “I throw it a lot now. It’s a little bit of a seam-shift, one-seam changeup. I mean, I’ve probably had 12 different grips over the years. I’d thrown every changeup under the sun up until this point.”

With a .125 batting average against and a 39.7% whiff rate, his changeup may very well be his top offering. Then again, Varland’s four-seamer ranks in the 96th percentile for velocity, while his curveball likewise grades out as plus-plus. What do his manager and pitching coach consider to be his “best” pitch?

“All,” replied John Schneider. “Honestly, I think it’s his changeup. When you’re defending against 100-101 [mph] and can throw a changeup with the same arm speed, that’s pretty effective… But yeah, it’s pretty unique arsenal for a guy with that kind of stuff.”

“I’ll always say it’s his fastball,” said Pete Walker. “He commands it well and it’s 100 mph. He might say it’s his changeup, which is fine. His changeup is exceptional. He can throw it at any point in the count. He’s not afraid to throw it 3-2, 2-0, first pitch. It’s got great movement, great arm speed. The metrics on it are tremendous.

“And then he can still spin the ball with his knuckle curve,” Toronto’s longtime pitching coach added. “He has a starter’s arsenal as a closer, and three of his pitches are elite.”

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A quiz:

Two players have recorded more than 2,500 hits over the past 20 seasons (since 2007). Who are they? (A hint: one is still active, while the other isn’t.)

The answer can be found below.

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NEWS NOTES

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Saberseminar, which will be held in Chicago on August 29-30. Tickets can be purchased here.

For those of you who like to plan ahead, next year’s SABR Analytics Conference will be held from March 12–14, 2027 at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus.Registration and hotel information will be available beginning in Fall 2026.

Alan Closter, a left-hander who appeared in 21 games while pitching for four MLB teams across the 1966-1973 seasons, died on June 12 at age 82. The Creighton, Nebraska native went 2-2 with a 6.62 ERA, with all four of his decisions coming with the New York Yankees in 1971.

Al Worthington, who appeared in 602 games across the 1953-1969 seasons, died earlier this week at age 97. Pitching primarily for the New York/San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins, the right-hander went 75-82 with 111 saves and a 3.39 ERA. A devout Christian, he was the Twins’ pitching coach in 1972 and 1973.

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The answer to the quiz is Miguel Cabrera (2,520 hits) and Freddie Freeman (2,507 hits).

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Dan Shulman is among the world’s most accomplished play-by-play broadcasters. The 59-year-old Toronto native excels behind the mic in multiple sports, and that is especially true for baseball. Moreover, talent runs in the family. Not only is Shulman the TV voice of the Blue Jays, his son Ben calls the team’s game on radio.

How similar are the Shulmans in the broadcast booth?

“I think he is similar, but not as similar as other people tell me they think he is,” opined the patriarch. “Some people tell me we sound identical. I don’t think that’s true at all. I do think we have certain ways of saying things, or cadences that are the same. Our voices are not the same. In terms of the information we put out, it’s similar but not identical. We know how each other researches; we text and talk every day. I’m sending him stuff and he’s sending me stuff.

“Our personalities are different, “ the elder Shulman added. “He’s funnier than I am. He can also do pop culture references way better, because he’s younger and knows that stuff. He can do music things, TV things, movie lines, and integrate them into the broadcast. I’m not that guy. I’m just in the baseball lane.”

So, a lot in common, but also some notable differences?

“At the age he is now, I would say it’s an eight-out-of-10 similar,” replied Shulman. “But not certainly not a 10-out-of-10.”

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

At 43-24, the Seibu Lions have the best record in NPB. The pitching-rich Pacific League club has been led by 29-year-old right-hander Kona Takahashi who is 7-3 with a 1.23 ERA, and 26-year-old right-hander Kaima Taira who is 5-1 with an 0.82 ERA. Hakua Iwaki, a 22-year-old southpaw, has 18 saves.

Sean Reynolds has 40 strikeouts to go with just six walks, 16 hits allowed, and five earned runs over 28 innings with NPB’s Yokohama BayStars. The 28-year-old right-hander appeared in 28 games for the San Diego Padres across the 2024-2025 seasons.

Min Seok Choi is 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA and a 21.9% strikeout rate for the KBO’s Doosan Bears. The right-hander will celebrate his 20th birthday next month.

Shr Lun Chang has 21 hits in just 60 at-bats for the Chinese Professional Baseball League’s CTBC Brothers. The 21-year-old infielder has played in 16 games and has six stolen bases without being caught.

Brett de Geus is 3-0 with 16 saves and a 0.94 ERA over 28-and-two-thirds innings for Toros de Tijuana in the hitter-friendly Mexican League. The 28-year-old right-hander has made 61 MLB appearances, 47 of them with the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021.

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A random obscure former player snapshot:

Lew Krausse Jr. was mentioned here in Sunday Notes upon his death five years ago. Notable in the right-hander’s 12-year career was his having started the first game in Milwaukee Brewers history, as well as the first home game in Oakland Athletics history. Today being Father’s Day, we’ll give Lew Krausse Sr. his due.

The elder Krauss had a comparably modest MLB ledger. He appeared in just 23 games, tossing a total of 68 innings for the Philadelphia Athletics across the 1931-1932 seasons. Were it not for an arm injury suffered in an exhibition game against the Interstate League’s Stroudsburg Poconos, he might have accomplished much more. Five days before the injury, Krausse Sr. shut out the Boston Red Sox, giving him a career record of five wins against one loss. Just 20 years old at the time, he never again toed a big-league slab.

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FARM NOTES

The best record in the minors belongs to the South Atlantic League’s Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Tampa Bay Rays’ High-A affiliate is 48-19 and has a plus-119 run differential.

Joshua Báez homered four times for the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A St. Louis) in a 12-5 win over the Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee) on Tuesday. Ranked seventh in the Cardinals system with a 45 FV coming into the season, the 22-year-old outfielder has 24 round-trippers to go with a .276/.347/.625 slash line and a 140 wRC+ in 294 plate appearances.

On Friday, five players went deep in a 12-run eighth inning as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Low-A Cubs) pulverized the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles) by a score of 21-10. Henniel Alcala, a 19-year-old catcher who was promoted from the Arizona Complex League in mid-May, accounted for one of the bombs and went 3-for-5.

Luke Hill is slashing .267/.407/.551 with 11 home runs and a 143 wRC+ in 222 plate appearances between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron. Drafted in the fourth round last year out of the University of Mississippi, the 22-year-old second baseman/third baseman came into the season unranked on our Cleveland Guardians Top Prospects list.

L.P. Langevin has a 45.3% strikeout rate to go with a 2.57 ERA over 28 innings for the High-A Quad Cities Bandits. The 22-year-old right-hander from Quebec garnered an honorable mention on our Kansas City Royals Top Prospects list.

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This dates all the way back to last season — it was residing in my unused-material folder — but remains worth sharing. The quotes are from Texas Rangers infielder Josh Smith.

“Your stance and your setup matter a lot,” he told me “The more efficient you can be before the pitch comes, the better off you are. In my mind, the stance almost matters more than the swing itself. The swing obviously matters, but if you’re not in a good setup, and you have a lot of movement to get to where you want to swing the bat… I mean, I think it’s a big deal.”

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Grover Cleveland Alexander won 373 games over a career that spanned the 1911-1930 seasons, but life wasn’t always easy for the Hall of Fame right-hander. “Old Pete” battled both alcoholism and epilepsy. Hans Lobert, a teammate of Alexander’s in Philadelphia, touched on both when interviewed for The Glory of Their Times, Lawrence Ritter’s 1966 classic.

“He didn’t really start to drink heavily until he came back from the war in 1919…
Maybe two or three times a season he’d have an epileptic seizure on the bench… It was awful. After we’d gotten him down, we’d put some brandy down his throat and in awhile he’d be all right. It always happened on the bench, never out on the pitching mound. We always kept a bottle of brandy handy because there was never any warning. Alex wasn’t the only epileptic on the Phillies at that time. Sherry Magee in the outfield had epilepsy, too. And Tony Lazzeri with the Yankees, later on.”

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

The Guardian’s Joseph Palmer interviewed Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider, who “has always been different from the average baseball player.”

Three years removed from ESPN, Joon Lee is thriving in his independent sports journalism endeavor. Michael Grant talked to Lee for Awful Announcing.

At the University of Nottingham’s Taiwan Insight, Jerry Chen addressed the myths of Taiwanese baseball’s identity gaps.

Purple Row’s Joelle Milholm wrote about Brett Sullivan and the Tao of the pitching catcher.

Is “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” classic between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in 1951 the greatest game ever played? MLB official historian John Thorn pondered that question at Our Game.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The top two batting averages in the National League belong to Otto Lopez and Jung Hoo Lee. The former is slashing .332/.364/.465 with 19 doubles and five home runs. The latter is slashing .331/.361/.462 with 18 doubles and four home runs.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby is 10-1 with a 3.18 ERA over 45-and-a-third innings. Miami Marlins right-hander Lake Bachar is 0-0 with a 3.10 ERA over 40-and-two-thirds innings.

Mookie Betts and Chuck Klein were both born on October 7, the latter in 1904, the former in 1992. Klein logged 7,172 plate appearances, 398 doubles, 300 home runs, and a 132 wRC+. Betts has 7,118 plate appearances, 400 doubles, 299 home runs, and a 135 wRC+. Each has a batting title and an MVP award on his résumé.

Carlos Santana has 335 home runs, a .351 OBP, and a .240 batting average.
Robinson Canó had 335 home runs, a .351 OBP, and a .301 batting average.

Mike Witt went 117-116 with a 3.83 ERA. Kevin Gausman is 116-118 with a 3.83 ERA.

Ewell Blackwell threw a no-hitter against the Boston Braves on June 18, 1947, and he nearly repeated the feat four days later. On June 22, the Cincinnati Reds right-hander held the Brooklyn Dodgers hitless until Eddie Stanky singled with one out in the ninth. He finished with a two-hit shutout. Blackwell’s back-to-back gems came amid a 17-start stretch where he went 16-0 with a no-decision.

On today’s date in 1970, Cesar Gutierrez went 7-for-7 to help lead the Detroit Tigers to a 9-8 win over the Cleveland Indians in 12 innings. A Venezuelan shortstop who was nicknamed “Cocoa,” Gutierrez logged 128 hits and a 50 wRC+ over parts of four MLB seasons.

Jim Bunning celebrated Father’s Day in style on today’s date in 1964, throwing a perfect game as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the New York Mets 6-0. Six years earlier, Bunning threw a no-hitter for the Tigers against the Boston Red Sox.

Players born on today’s date include Jay Pettibone, a right-hander whose MLB career comprised four starts, and four losses, for the Minnesota Twins in 1983. The Mount Clemens, Michigan native is the father of Jonathan Pettibone, who made 20 starts and went 5-5 for the Philadelphia Phillies across the 2013-2014 seasons.

Also born on today’s date was Red Barron, an outfielder who went 4-for-21 while appearing in 10 games for the Boston Braves in 1929. A member of the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame, Barron had his best minor-league season in 1930 when he batted .346 for the Southern Association’s Atlanta Crackers, whose lineup included Hall of Famer Luke Appling.