Yankees crush Twins 17-5 behind five homers and a perfect relief from Carlos Lagrange

The box score said 17–5, and yeah, it’s February baseball in Florida, so we’re all supposed to nod politely and move along. Cute. Fun. Don’t overreact.

I’m overreacting.

Because when the New York Yankees drop five home runs on the Minnesota Twins in a single afternoon, even in the Grapefruit League, it’s worth at least paying attention to.

Spencer Jones launched his third homer of the spring, and it wasn’t a cheapie:

The kid is 6-foot-6, built like a tight end, and swings like he’s trying to put a dent in the Atlantic. For a prospect who hit 35 home runs and stole 29 bases between Double-A and Triple-A last year, the power surge this spring isn’t random. It’s evolution. He’s starting to figure out which pitches he can absolutely obliterate.

And he’s not alone.

Jasson Domínguez went yard. JC Escarra left the yard. Paul DeJong did, too. Duke Ellis joined the party. That’s five different names, five different swings, five different reminders that this organization doesn’t lack thunder.

It gets ugly for opposing pitchers. Fast.

Carlos Lagrange Is the Real Story, Though

The offense will get the headlines because, well, five bombs sells. But the most important performance on that field belonged to a 22-year-old right-hander who looks like he was assembled in a pitching lab.

Carlos Lagrange threw three scoreless innings. One hit. No walks. Four strikeouts. And yes, the radar gun flashed 102 mph because of course it did.

The velocity is absurd, but it’s not new. He’s been lighting up minor league guns for a while. Last year, between High-A and Double-A, he struck out more than 30 percent of the hitters he faced. The problem? Walks. Too many. Free passes that turn electric stuff into stressful innings.

Friday, there were none.

Zero.

That’s the development. That’s the thing that makes you lean forward in your chair a bit. If Lagrange can even hover around league-average command, his fastball-slider combo becomes unfair. Not “pretty good.” Unfair. You can’t teach 102 mph. You can teach control.

Luis Gil got the start and looked fine in his 2.1 innings, giving up a solo homer with a walk and a strikeout mixed in. Standard early-spring stuff. He’s coming off a rough 2024 and needs to get off to a strong start of the season.

Osvaldo Bido tossed a clean inning. Brent Headrick gave up a couple runs. That’s spring. Arms sorting themselves out, guys fighting for the back end, nothing dramatic.

Lagrange was dramatic.

He’s tall, loose, explosive. The type of arm that changes bullpen conversations by June. The Yankees don’t need him to be a savior. They just need him to throw strikes. If he does that, he’s not riding buses for long.

And here’s the part fans don’t always want to hear: these blowouts matter because they reinforce identity. The Yankees are built to slug. They’re built to overwhelm. When the offense clicks, the lineup doesn’t just score; it avalanches.

Seventeen runs isn’t predictive. It’s illustrative.

It shows the blueprint.

If the power prospects keep trending up and the flamethrowers start locating, this team won’t be scraping for wild cards. They’ll be dictating terms. Spring training doesn’t tell you everything. But sometimes it reminds you exactly who you are.

The Yankees reminded everyone Friday. Loudly.