The Yankees are extremely excited about young right-handed power pitcher Carlos Lagrange, who recently struck out Aaron Judge on a 102.6 mph fastball in a live batting practice session. Judge had nothing but great things to say about Lagrange and what his upside is, potentially a top-line starting pitcher. He still has a few kinks to work out of his armor, like reducing his walk rate and generally having better command, but his strike percentages and velocity are among the best in minor league baseball.
The Judge Showdown
Monday’s live batting practice session at Yankees spring training turned into must-watch theater when Lagrange faced off against the best hitter on the planet. The sequence played out like a heavyweight boxing match: Judge demolished a 99.3 mph heater over the left-field wall in their first matchup, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Most 22-year-olds would’ve wilted after that. Lagrange came right back at him.
Three pitches later, Lagrange struck out Judge on a 102.6 mph fastball that had the three-time MVP looking foolish. The pitch came low and in with natural arm-side run, catching the bottom edge of the zone. Judge swung through air. The Yankees captain walked away, and Lagrange had his statement moment. This wasn’t about winning a spring training at-bat. It was about proving he belonged on the same field as the game’s elite hitters.
“He’s going to be special,” Judge said. “You can look up at the radar and see 103 mph, but I think it’s also just the presence he has on the mound. We set up some nasty lineups against him today, and he didn’t care. He wanted to be out there, and he came right after us.”
That last part matters. The Yankees sent Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham against Lagrange during his three-inning live session. Five MVP awards between them. The kid didn’t blink. “That’s what you need if you’re going to play in the Bronx,” Judge added, per MLB.com. “You’ve got to have that demeanor, that it doesn’t matter who’s in front of you or what happens. So I’m excited about him, excited about his stuff.”
The Numbers Back Up the Hype
| Level | W-L | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-A | 4-2 | 41.2 | 13.82 | 2.59 | 0.86 | 4.10 |
| Double-A | 7-6 | 78.1 | 11.95 | 5.74 | 0.46 | 3.22 |
| Combined | 11-8 | 120.0 | 12.60 | 4.65 | 0.60 | 3.52 |
Lagrange’s 2025 season across High-A and Double-A shows exactly why the Yankees are so high on him. He struck out 12.60 batters per nine innings across 120 innings, posting an 11-8 record with a 3.52 ERA. The strikeout rate is elite. The home run rate (0.60 per nine) shows he keeps the ball in the park despite attacking hitters aggressively. The walk rate (4.65 per nine) is the concern, particularly his 5.74 BB/9 mark at Double-A Somerset.
But here’s the reality: when you can strike out 104 batters in 78.1 innings at Double-A like Lagrange did, you can afford to nibble around the edges occasionally. His stuff is so overpowering that even when he misses his spots, hitters struggle to make solid contact. The Yankees aren’t worried about the walks. They’re focused on refining his command so he can harness the elite velocity and movement into consistent dominance.
The Matt Blake Factor
“I do think we will see him at some point in 2026. I think I’ve said this on the podcast before, but Matt Blake has said multiple times now that him and Elmer Rodriguez and Ben Hess are ahead of where Cam Schlittler were at this point last year. That’s something I’m keeping in mind when it comes to his short-term outlook,” Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News and cohost of the Fireside Yankees podcast (an Empire Sports Media production) said when asked about whether we will see Carlos Lagrange in 2026.
That’s a significant comp. Schlittler joined the Yankees down the stretch and was absolutely dominant. If Lagrange, Rodriguez, and Ben Hess are ahead of where Schlittler was at this point last year, the Yankees could have three legitimate rotation candidates ready to contribute by midseason.
Matt Blake’s track record with developing pitchers speaks for itself. He turned Luis Severino into an ace, helped Nestor Cortes discover elite command, and has consistently extracted maximum value from reclamation projects and young arms. When Blake says a prospect is ahead of schedule, the organization listens. Lagrange’s offseason work combined with Blake’s development infrastructure could accelerate his timeline significantly.
The Path to the Bronx
“I know 102 is really hard, but I work out hard in the offseason. When you do a really good job in the offseason, that’s the result.”
It’s not just about the radar gun reading. Lagrange’s fastball generates natural arm-side run and carry that make it nearly unhittable when located properly. His sweeper, which he used to set up the strikeout pitch against Judge, dives into the dirt with late break. His changeup continues to develop. The arsenal is there. The mentality is there. Now it’s about refinement.
The Yankees plan to start Lagrange at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the season, allowing him to face the automated strike zone challenge and continue developing his command against advanced hitters. But if he dominates like he did in 2025, the front office could fast-track him. The rotation currently has Gerrit Cole returning from injury in early summer, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt also working their way back (Schmidt is unlikely to return this year), and a collection of backend options like Ryan Weathers and Will Warren providing depth.
There’s also the bullpen path. Lagrange’s triple-digit fastball, sharp sweeper, and developing changeup would play up even more in short relief. The Yankees could use him as a late-inning weapon if the need arises, similar to how they deployed Dellin Betances early in his career. Betances, another 6-foot-7 flamethrower with command issues, eventually figured it out and became one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. The comp isn’t perfect, but the blueprint exists.
The Bottom Line
Striking out Aaron Judge in February doesn’t guarantee success in October. But it’s a hell of a start. Lagrange showed poise, velocity, and the kind of competitive fire that plays in the biggest moments. The Yankees have been searching for homegrown power arms like this since the days of Betances and Andrew Miller.
If the command continues to sharpen and the walk rate trends downward, Lagrange could force his way onto the roster by midseason. The Yankees are in win-now mode with Judge entering his age-34 season. They don’t have time to let prospects marinate in Triple-A if they’re ready to contribute. Based on what Lagrange showed Monday, and what Matt Blake is saying behind the scenes, the timeline to the Bronx might be shorter than anyone expected.
More about:New York Yankees
