Yankees predicted to replace Ryan McMahon with 20-year-old top prospect before All-Star break

The New York Yankees have plenty of reasons to be excited about the team in 2026, with Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole's return two of the biggest reasons to look forward to 2026.

But when it comes to younger players like Carlos Lagrange, Spencer Jones, and Jasson Dominguez, they're beginning the season in the minor leagues and not the Majors. However, that stay might not be for long.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic is predicting that the Yankees will call up a different prospect, their top infielder who's just 20-years-old, George Lombard Jr., before the All-Star break to replace Ryan McMahon at third base.

Yankees predicted to call up Lombard before All-Star break

"Yankees' top prospect George Lombard Jr. is called up before the All-Star break and becomes the everyday third baseman for New York for the remainder of the season," Bowden predicts.

This prediction from Bowden is a bold one. Lombard is a fun young prospect who's beginning his season in the minor leagues, like the rest of the top Yankees prospects.

But there is a lot to like about the young infielder. He's only 20 years old, and while his spring training wasn't ideal, with a .179 batting average and a .717 OPS, his production in the minors has been encouraging enough.

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He had a .235 batting average last season with a .748 OPS, and he's flashed some potential as a big-time base-stealer, with 39 steals in 2024 and 35 in 2025.

This prediction from Bowden would mean that Lombard has an incredible start to the minor league season, good enough that, combined with the struggles at third base from McMahon, it leads to a promotion.

This would be a slightly bitter-sweet outcome for the Yankees, in that McMahon, a big trade-deadline pickup last season, didn't pan out.

But, if Lombard, their 20-year-old infield prospect, turns out to be a quality Major Leaguer as Bowden predicts, such a disappointment from McMahon would be a worthy trade-off.

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