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Carlos LaGrange got hit hard Monday. The New York Yankees’ 22-year-old still showed glimpses of why he has been one of the most talked about prospects in baseball this spring.
The right-hander gave up 2 homers, 9 hits and 6 runs over only 2 2/3 innings in a 15-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. His earned run average soared from 0.66 to 4.96.
TAMPA, FL: Carlos Lagrange pitches for the New York Yankees in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 11, 2026. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LaGrange hit 100 on the radar gun before the thermometer hit 100 at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. That’s saying something after five straight days of triple-digit heat in the desert.
The pitch registered at 100.5 mph and was fought off by Carson Kelly for a bloop single that fell in front of right fielder Aaron Judge for an RBI single in the first inning. It scored leadoff hitter Nico Hoerner, who singled up the middle on LaGrange’s second pitch. Michael Busch then singled, too.
LaGrange found that a big-leaguers’ timing gets sharper at the end of spring training. He entered the game with 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings and according to a few New York media folks a plaque awaiting him at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
New York scribes are prone to do such things. Countless youngsters have been placed upon pedestals before their time and then viciously vilified for not reaching unrealistic forecasts.
MESA, AZ: Yankees prospect Carlos LaGrange leaves the mound after New York manager Aaron Boone (17) called for a relief pitcher in a loss to the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 23, 2026
CHUCK MURR / Forbes.com
The outing showed that manager Aaron Boone’s decision to send the youngster to the minors was well-warranted – no matter if Yankee fans and talk show hosts scream otherwise.
LaGrange still showed something special. He struck out the side in the second inning, showcasing sweepers, sliders and changeups. He got swings and misses on 101.3 mph fastballs and a 79.6 mph sweeper. Overall, he fanned four, walked two.
LaGrange is ranked by MLB.com as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect behind 20-year-old infielder George Lombard Jr. He’s No. 10 on their list of right-handed pitchers.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com got a sampling of comments recently from several Yankees on LaGrange:
He’s on the cusp of the Majors just four years after signing for only $10,000 as a gangly 18-year-old from Bayaguana, Dominican Republic.
Wildness and injury stymied his early development. He walked 63 in his first 95 innings as a pro. He walked 15 in only 8 2.3 innings in the 2024 Arizona Fall League after a back injury limited him to 21 innings in the regular season,
BRIDGEWATER, NJ: Carlos Lagrange of the Somerset Patriots warms up before a game against the Portland Sea Dogs at TD Bank Ballpark on June 12, 2025. (Photo by Madison McCall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Minor League Baseball via Getty Images
In 2025, he began to put it together. Lagrange had an 11-8 record and 3.53 ERA in 24 combined games (23 starts) for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He led all Yankees minor-league hurlers in opponent batting average (.191), was second in strikeouts (168) and fourth in winning percentage (.579).
He enters 2026 with 301 strikeouts in 215 2/3 pro innings.
Now it is off to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for LaGrange. He will be toting the 2026 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training.
Boone says LaGrange needs to log a lot of innings to earn a callup. He’s seen youngsters ruined physically or mentally by coming up too soon.
Nevertheless, Boone was impressed before sending LaGrange down. “He made it a difficult decision, which coming into this, I wouldn’t even thought there was a decision," said Boone, entering his ninth year as manager.
Boone has even hinted that LaGrange may not get a call this year and that if it comes, it could be as a late-inning reliever in certain situations. But there’s no question he wants the big guy in the rotation as a possible right-handed version of lefty Hall of Famer CC Sabathia.
Six-foot-seven 250-pound pitchers throwing 100 miles an hour with 76-mph changeups and funky breaking balls are as hard to find as they are to hit.
Carlos LaGrange is worth the wait for the New York Yankees.
Continue reading...
The right-hander gave up 2 homers, 9 hits and 6 runs over only 2 2/3 innings in a 15-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. His earned run average soared from 0.66 to 4.96.
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TAMPA, FL: Carlos Lagrange pitches for the New York Yankees in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 11, 2026. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LaGrange hit 100 on the radar gun before the thermometer hit 100 at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. That’s saying something after five straight days of triple-digit heat in the desert.
The pitch registered at 100.5 mph and was fought off by Carson Kelly for a bloop single that fell in front of right fielder Aaron Judge for an RBI single in the first inning. It scored leadoff hitter Nico Hoerner, who singled up the middle on LaGrange’s second pitch. Michael Busch then singled, too.
LaGrange found that a big-leaguers’ timing gets sharper at the end of spring training. He entered the game with 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings and according to a few New York media folks a plaque awaiting him at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
New York scribes are prone to do such things. Countless youngsters have been placed upon pedestals before their time and then viciously vilified for not reaching unrealistic forecasts.
You must be registered for see images attach
MESA, AZ: Yankees prospect Carlos LaGrange leaves the mound after New York manager Aaron Boone (17) called for a relief pitcher in a loss to the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 23, 2026
CHUCK MURR / Forbes.com
The outing showed that manager Aaron Boone’s decision to send the youngster to the minors was well-warranted – no matter if Yankee fans and talk show hosts scream otherwise.
LaGrange still showed something special. He struck out the side in the second inning, showcasing sweepers, sliders and changeups. He got swings and misses on 101.3 mph fastballs and a 79.6 mph sweeper. Overall, he fanned four, walked two.
MLB.com Says:
LaGrange is ranked by MLB.com as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect behind 20-year-old infielder George Lombard Jr. He’s No. 10 on their list of right-handed pitchers.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com got a sampling of comments recently from several Yankees on LaGrange:
- Veteran pitcher Gerrit Cole on Lagrange’s velocity: “It’s like, silly. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
- Catcher Austin Wells: “I don’t have any doubts he could help us right now.”
- Young starter Cam Schlitter: "He’s always been a guy who could chuck it pretty hard. I thought he was really raw back then; compared to myself, I didn't have the velo, but I was kind of raw, still trying to develop pitches, still trying to get in the zone. It's been great to see him develop."
- Opening Day starter Max Fried: “He definitely impact this team.”
- Boone: “He’s definitely got everyone’s attention. I love where he’s at. I would not be surprised if he is impacting us (in the) early, middle, later part of the season. I can just tell you we’re all very excited about his continued development and what we think he could mean to our team at some point.”
LaGrange’s Career Rise
He’s on the cusp of the Majors just four years after signing for only $10,000 as a gangly 18-year-old from Bayaguana, Dominican Republic.
Wildness and injury stymied his early development. He walked 63 in his first 95 innings as a pro. He walked 15 in only 8 2.3 innings in the 2024 Arizona Fall League after a back injury limited him to 21 innings in the regular season,
You must be registered for see images attach
BRIDGEWATER, NJ: Carlos Lagrange of the Somerset Patriots warms up before a game against the Portland Sea Dogs at TD Bank Ballpark on June 12, 2025. (Photo by Madison McCall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Minor League Baseball via Getty Images
In 2025, he began to put it together. Lagrange had an 11-8 record and 3.53 ERA in 24 combined games (23 starts) for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He led all Yankees minor-league hurlers in opponent batting average (.191), was second in strikeouts (168) and fourth in winning percentage (.579).
He enters 2026 with 301 strikeouts in 215 2/3 pro innings.
Now it is off to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for LaGrange. He will be toting the 2026 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training.
LaGrange’s Future With New York Yankees
Boone says LaGrange needs to log a lot of innings to earn a callup. He’s seen youngsters ruined physically or mentally by coming up too soon.
Nevertheless, Boone was impressed before sending LaGrange down. “He made it a difficult decision, which coming into this, I wouldn’t even thought there was a decision," said Boone, entering his ninth year as manager.
Boone has even hinted that LaGrange may not get a call this year and that if it comes, it could be as a late-inning reliever in certain situations. But there’s no question he wants the big guy in the rotation as a possible right-handed version of lefty Hall of Famer CC Sabathia.
Six-foot-seven 250-pound pitchers throwing 100 miles an hour with 76-mph changeups and funky breaking balls are as hard to find as they are to hit.
Carlos LaGrange is worth the wait for the New York Yankees.
Continue reading...
