Ryan Garcia
Buzz around Carlos Lagrange continues to grow as the Yankees’ right-hander has impressed in his first two Spring Training outings, and that’s extending into the media world as well.
Brendan Kuty, beat reporter for The Athletic, was on the Fireside Yankees Podcast for the ninth episode of the Bronx Beat where he made a bold claim about Lagrange’s odds of being called up in 2026:
“I’d be shocked if we don’t see Lagrange in the bullpen at some point this year, really stunned”
The Yankees have spoken glowingly about him, with Matt Blake noting to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News that he’s further along than Cam Schlittler was at the end of the 2024 season.
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Why the Yankees Could Turn to Carlos Lagrange in a Potential Bullpen Role
The Yankees’ bullpen will not include Carlos Lagrange when they head to San Francisco for Opening Day on March 25t, but he could be there at some point during the 2026 season.
He has garnered tons of buzz around the industry for his elite-level stuff, so much so that I’ve considered moving him up our prospect rankings given the improvements he’s made to his shapes.
Flashing excellent vertical movement on his fastball while averaging 100 MPH, the right-hander has all the potential to become a dominant reliever or even a Game 1 starter in the postseason.
Comparisons have been made to Dellin Betances, a fellow hard-throwing Dominican righty who struggled with commanding the ball in a starter’s role before electrifying the sport as a power bullpen arm.
After finishing third in pitching strikeouts among Minor League pitchers during the 2025 season (168), the spotlight has been put on the Yankees’ 2022 signee out of the Dominican Republic.
Elmer Rodriguez, who we ranked as the no. 1 pitching prospect in the system just barely ahead of Carlos Lagrange, is ahead of him on the depth chart and is already on the 40-man roster which does matter in deciding timelines.
As Brendan Kuty noted, the Yankees’ potential excess of rotation depth could create an opening for them to use him as a reliever, especially if they have uncertainty in the backend of that group.
The link to the full podcast on the Fireside Yankees’ YouTube Channel is available here:
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