Before traveling to Milwaukee with the Major League club, the Miami Marlins officially announced the signing of their 2026 first-round draft pick, Jacob Lombard, on Thursday. According to Francys Romero, the shortstop agreed to a $5 million signing bonus, which came in $445,000 below the assigned slot value for the No. 14 overall pick.
“This has been a process that was a long time in the making,” said Frankie Piliere, the Marlins’ Vice President of Amateur Scouting Projections and Player Evaluation Initiatives. “We feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to draft him. We really didn’t know that possibility existed until probably the night before the Draft. It’s the result of a lot of hard work around an outstanding player, and we’re thrilled that everything came together.”
Lombard was never expected to fall outside the top 10 of the draft. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked him as the fifth-best prospect available, making his slide to the 14th overall pick one of the biggest surprises of the first round.
“I’ve been through enough Drafts to know that unexpected things always happen,” said Marlins President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix. “That’s why we were prepared to select a player of Jacob’s caliber at any point in the Draft.”
The Gulliver Prep product is already very familiar with loanDepot park. He attended numerous Marlins games there as a fan and was also in attendance during the World Baseball Classic. In addition, he played on the field himself, most notably in the Prep Baseball All-American Game.
During his senior season, Lombard slashed .477/.607/.864 with a 1.471 OPS, while hitting 10 home runs and driving in 25 runs.
“As the Draft got closer, I started imagining different scenarios, but I never really focused on a specific team because that was out of my control,” Lombard explained. “I was simply waiting for the call and was ready to join whichever organization selected me.”
Since wrapping up his high school season, Lombard has focused on adding strength and preparing physically for what he describes as a “second season.”
“I love baseball, so I couldn’t wait to get back on the field. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Lombard comes from a family deeply rooted in baseball. His older brother, George Lombard Jr., is the New York Yankees’ top prospect, while his father, George Lombard Sr., played 16 Major League seasons and currently serves as the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach.
That family background, combined with consistently competing against some of Florida’s top high school talent, has left him well-prepared for professional baseball.
“I think growing up in a baseball family has prepared me tremendously,” Lombard said. “I can talk to my brother about what he experiences every day in the minor leagues, and of course I can talk to my dad, who played 16 years in the Major Leagues and still works in the game. Mentally, I feel like I’m in a really good place. I know what the daily routine of a professional player looks like, so there won’t be too many surprises.”
Along with Lombard, the rest of the Marlins’ 2026 draft class will participate in the organization’s rookie camp in South Florida. The Marlins have developed a reputation for aggressively promoting their top prospects, as evidenced by 2025 first-round pick Aiva Arquette, who began his professional career at High-A before rapidly climbing the system.
“We like to challenge our players—that’s how they improve,” Bendix said. “We put them in environments that aren’t easy, and Jacob will be no different. We have complete confidence in how he’ll respond on the field from an athletic standpoint. But beyond that, we’ve gotten to know the kind of person he is. He’s going to embrace those challenges. It won’t be easy, but he knows that, and that’s how players become better ballplayers.”