The Yankees have a dangerous young trio of pitchers at their disposal, some more ready for MLB action than others. Cam Schlittler is the incumbent, having MLB experience already and putting together a tremendous 2025 performance and a 12-strikeout outing against the Red Sox in the Wild Card.
Elmer Rodriguez is next on the list, displaying a deep arsenal of pitches and an MLB-caliber arm who can start and eat innings. He has great command and can dial up the velocity, too. The Yankees are very excited about his potential. Carlos Lagrange has the making of a front-line starter and a high-leverage reliever early in his career.
Schlittler’s Historic Wild Card Performance
Schlittler burst onto the scene in 2025, making his MLB debut on July 9 and never looking back. Across 14 starts and 73 innings, he posted a 2.96 ERA with 10.36 strikeouts per nine innings while holding opposing hitters to an .284 BABIP. His fastball averaged 97.8 mph, sitting comfortably in the upper 90s and touching triple digits when needed. The command wasn’t perfect (3.82 BB/9), but the raw stuff was undeniable.
Then came October 2, 2025. In a win-or-go-home Wild Card Game 3 against his hometown Boston Red Sox, the 24-year-old Walpole, Massachusetts native delivered one of the most dominant postseason performances in Yankees history. Schlittler became the first pitcher in postseason history to throw at least eight scoreless innings with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks. The dozen strikeouts were also a Yankees record for a rookie making his playoff debut.
| Pitcher | Level | W-L | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schlittler | 2025 MiLB | 6-6 | 76.2 | 11.62 | 3.05 | 0.47 | 2.82 |
| Schlittler | 2025 MLB | 4-3 | 73.0 | 10.36 | 3.82 | 0.99 | 2.96 |
| Rodriguez | 2025 MiLB | 11-8 | 150.0 | 10.56 | 3.42 | 0.18 | 2.58 |
| Lagrange | 2025 MiLB | 11-8 | 120.0 | 12.60 | 4.65 | 0.60 | 3.53 |
“Cam’s a tough kid, and I know he’s going to handle any slings and arrows,” Aaron Boone said, per MLB.com. “Social media can be an ugly place sometimes, unfortunately. We try to prepare our guys and obviously support our guys in so many different ways. But Cam is broad-shouldered, confident, clear-eyed, and I don’t think [he’s] going to be affected by much.”
Schlittler threw 107 pitches that night, 64 of them at least 98 mph and 11 hitting triple digits. “It comes down to the hard work I put in the offseason,” Schlittler told ESPN. “To still feel this good at the end of the season is a blessing.”
Rodriguez’s Deep Arsenal and MLB Readiness
While Lagrange generates headlines with his 102.6 mph fastball, Elmer Rodriguez might be the most MLB-ready arm in the Yankees system. The 22-year-old right-hander posted an 11-8 record across 150 innings in 2025 with a 2.58 ERA and 10.56 strikeouts per nine innings. More impressively, he held opponents to just 0.18 home runs per nine innings, the best mark among all three pitchers.
Rodriguez headlines his arsenal with a mid-90s sinker and a sweeper with excellent lateral movement. His curveball and splitter have advanced rapidly, allowing him to dominate left-handed hitters. The four-seamer and cutter round out his six-pitch mix, creating different looks that make him exceptionally deceptive. Most 21-year-olds are still refining two or three offerings. Rodriguez already has six weapons he can deploy.
“Big fan. Another guy that I think has a really, really bright future as a starting pitcher,” Aaron Boone said recently. “I think he’s got a chance to be a really good starter. He can do a lot of things with the ball on the mound. He’s got a number of different pitches. He’s got a real good feel to pitch.”
Rodriguez will represent Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, giving him high-stakes international experience before the regular season begins. The Yankees named him their 2025 Minor League Player of the Year, and he’ll start the Grapefruit League opener on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota.
Lagrange’s Triple-Digit Upside
Carlos Lagrange is the wild card of the trio. The 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out 12.60 batters per nine innings across 120 innings in 2025, the highest rate among the three prospects. His 102.6 mph fastball that struck out Aaron Judge in live batting practice earlier this week made national headlines and reminded everyone why the Yankees are so excited about his ceiling.
The concern with Lagrange is command. His 4.65 walks per nine innings in 2025 were significantly higher than Rodriguez (3.42) and Schlittler (3.05 in the minors). At Double-A Somerset, his walk rate ballooned to 5.74 per nine innings across 78.1 frames. But when you can blow hitters away like Lagrange does, you can afford to nibble around the edges occasionally. His 3.22 ERA at Double-A despite the elevated walk rate proves the stuff plays.
“That’s what you need if you’re going to play in the Bronx,” Aaron Judge said after facing Lagrange, 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. His personality and presence — he’s going to be a special player for us.”
Matt Blake’s Development Magic
The common thread connecting all three pitchers is Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake. Blake’s track record with developing young arms 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 prospects alike.
Recently, Blake provided an update on the trio’s development that sent shockwaves through the organization. “Well, they all [Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Ben Hess] took nice steps forward last year and I would say they’re further ahead than maybe where we thought Cam was at this point last year,” Blake said on Yankees Hot Stove. “I think Cam really hadn’t quite emerged the way they had in this back half of the AA season and AAA for Elmer. But I think all three of those guys are taking some nice steps in their development.”
That’s a stunning endorsement. Schlittler debuted in July 2025 and became a postseason hero by October. If Rodriguez and Lagrange are ahead of where Schlittler was at this point last year, the Yankees could have three legitimate rotation candidates ready to contribute by midseason.
The 2026 Outlook
Schlittler is the most certain contributor. He’ll slot into the rotation behind Max Fried while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón continue their injury rehabs. The Yankees are confident he can handle 150-plus innings in 2026 after throwing just 149.2 combined innings between the minors and majors in 2025.
Rodriguez will likely start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but could force a promotion by midseason if he dominates. His six-pitch arsenal and durability (150 innings in 2025) make him the safest bet among the prospects to become a mid-rotation starter. The Yankees view him as a number-three starter ceiling with exceptional floor.
Lagrange presents the most options. If the command improves, he’s a potential front-line starter. If it doesn’t, his triple-digit fastball and sharp sweeper could make him a devastating late-inning reliever, similar to how the Yankees deployed Dellin Betances early in his career. He’ll start Saturday’s Grapefruit League home opener against the Detroit Tigers, giving fans their first extended look at his arsenal.
Championship Implications
The Yankees are banking on internal development to supplement a roster that mostly ran it back after falling short in 2025. With Aaron Judge entering his age-34 season, the championship window is now. They don’t have time to let prospects marinate in Triple-A if they’re ready to contribute.
Schlittler proved in October that the moment isn’t too big for him. Rodriguez has the polish and repertoire to handle major league hitters right now. Lagrange has the ceiling to be a difference-maker if the command comes along. All three have the makeup and mentality to succeed in the Bronx, the most important trait for any young Yankee.
The 2026 season will reveal whether this trio can deliver on their immense promise. Based on what they showed in 2025 and what Matt Blake is saying behind the scenes, the Yankees have every reason to believe they’ve developed three legitimate major league arms. Whether they become stars or solid contributors remains to be seen, but the foundation is undeniably there.
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