The Yankees aren’t even a week into spring training, and Carlos Lagrange is already making Aaron Judge look foolish. On Monday, the 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out the three-time AL MVP in three pitches during live batting practice, capping the at-bat with a 102.6 mph fastball that had Judge swinging through air. Low and in, but catching the bottom edge of the zone with armside run—absolutely impossible to hit.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most impressive spring training moments I’ve seen from a prospect in recent memory. It’s February 16. We’re barely into camp. And Lagrange is already dialing triple digits with movement against the best hitter on the planet.
The Fastball Is Legitimately Elite
Here’s what the front office already knows: Lagrange’s heater isn’t just hard—it’s a weapon. MLB Pipeline ranks him 79th overall in their Top 100 prospects for 2026, and his fastball carries a 70-grade scouting report from Baseball America. That’s a grade reserved for plus-plus offerings, the kind that miss bats at every level.
The velocity isn’t new. Lagrange sat 96-98 mph during his limited action in 2024 when back inflammation derailed his season. In 2025, he averaged 98 mph across 120 innings split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, with his heater peaking at 103. Among minor league pitchers who threw their four-seamers at least 400 times last season, only five matched that kind of gas.
But here’s the thing—it’s not just about the radar gun. Lagrange generates natural armside run and carry that make his fastball nearly unhittable when he locates it. That 102.6 mph dart to Judge wasn’t straight. It was a missile with late life, which is why even a hitter of Judge’s caliber couldn’t make contact.
The Control Issues Are Real, But Overblown
Yes, Lagrange walked 5.74 batters per nine innings in 78.1 frames at Double-A Somerset last year. Yes, his career walk rateis worrisome. And yes, his long limbs and three-quarters arm slot make consistency a challenge.
But here’s what the skeptics are missing: he still posted a 3.22 ERA at Somerset. How? By striking out 104 batters in those same 78.1 innings—a strikeout rate that would make most closers jealous. When you can blow hitters away like Lagrange does, you can afford to nibble around the edges occasionally.
The Yankees aren’t terribly worried about the walks. I’m not either. The stuff is so electric that even when he’s wild, he’s effective. And the control issues showed improvement throughout 2025 as he made his delivery more direct and consistent. That’s the trajectory you want to see from a 22-year-old prospect.
It’s More Than Just the Fastball
Lagrange isn’t a one-pitch pony, despite what the velocity headlines suggest. He features a sweeping mid-80s slider, an upper-80s cutter for a different look, and a changeup sits in the low 90s with depth and fade, and while it’s not polished, it was actually more effective than the slider at times in 2025 according to MLB Pipeline. That’s a critical development marker, because starters need at least three viable pitches to survive a lineup multiple times through the order.
The pitch mix gives Lagrange the ceiling of an ace if everything clicks. If the control doesn’t tighten up? He’s still a late-innings weapon in the mold of Dellin Betances—a power arm who can dominate in high-leverage spots.
Why This Moment Matters
Striking out Aaron Judge in live BP isn’t just a fun spring training highlight. It’s a statement. Judge has seen every kind of velocity imaginable, every type of breaking ball, every deceptive delivery in the game. He’s one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball history. And Lagrange made him look overmatched. Granted, this isn’t midseason Judge, but it was impressive nonetheless.
This is the kind of stuff that accelerates timelines. The Yankees have a clear path for Lagrange: spend 2026 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, face the automated strike zone challenge, and refine the command. But if he shows this kind of dominance in camp and carries it into the regular season? Don’t be surprised if the front office fast-tracks him.
Lagrange has the highest ceiling among Yankees pitching prospects. The kind of arm that makes general managers salivate.
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