Arizona spring game Yanks' first since Mantle was 19, but it's nostalgic for Boone

MESA, Ariz. – New York’s return to Arizona for Spring Training was 75 years in the making.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was more than happy to trade the humid Florida sunshine for the desert’s dry heat, and felt right at home at Sloan Park on Monday. He previously called nearby Scottsdale home for 14 years, though he left the Southwest behind after accepting the managerial position in New York.

Even so, that didn’t stop him from reminiscing a bit prior to Monday’s 15-6 loss to the Cubs.

“For the most part, we raised our kids here,” Boone said. “We have a lot of great friends here, so it’s just a special place to me.”

The trip down memory lane was made possible because of a scheduling anomaly not seen since 1951, the last time New York visited Arizona for Spring Training. At that time, Yankees fans in the desert were treated to a 19-year-old Mickey Mantle’s first exhibition season, one that was also Joe DiMaggio’s last.

The reason for that trip? Then-co-owner Del Webb lived in Arizona and wanted to showcase the club in front of his local friends, so he swapped Spring Training homes with the New York Giants for one exhibition season.

The Yankees’ 2026 appearance is more strategic in nature, as they open the season in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Boone played in Cincinnati, New York, Cleveland, Miami, Washington and Houston over his 12-year playing career, but the California native said the Grand Canyon state still holds a special place in his heart.

“I love it, you know, especially for us opening on the West Coast,” Boone said. “It's always good to get back to the desert, and yeah, it’s exciting to come play in this venue.”

New York’s visit narrowly missed a record-setting heatwave that impacted much of the southwestern United States. Phoenix topped 105 degrees multiple times late last week and over the weekend.

Though high temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s during the Yankees’ visit, they’ve dodged the worst of it before moving on to San Francisco.

“We lined that up perfectly,” Boone said with a smile. “I got a good night’s sleep, and now I’m breathing in that great desert air.”

Lagrange relishes opportunity before Minors assignment
Pitcher Carlos Lagrange enjoyed his taste of the Major League life on Monday, even if the results weren’t quite there in his last Spring Training appearance.

Lagrange averaged 98.9 mph on his four-seam fastball while throwing 66 pitches, 38 for strikes. Still, Cubs hitters jumped all over the Yankees’ second-ranked prospect in his final start of the spring, tagging him for eight runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

Of course, this wasn’t an early February Spring Training roster, and that fact was not lost on the righty.

“It was definitely the best lineup I’ve faced this spring,” Lagrange said through an interpreter. “It jumps out that they know how to look for a pitch, and they’re ready to attack in different counts.”

The 22-year-old Lagrange, who received the 2026 James P. Dawson Award as the most outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training, said he’ll now head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the season.

Prior to Monday’s game, Lagrange had allowed only two runs (one earned) in the exhibition season, and that was on Feb. 21 against Detroit. He has yet to make his big league debut, but the budding star impressed all the right people throughout his Spring Training journey.

“He’s kept his head down as far as continuing to get better, that’s the biggest thing,” Boone said. “I feel like he’s grown over the winter and into Spring Training here, and I’m really excited about where he’s at.”

The experience, including traveling to Arizona with what’s essentially the big league club, has not been lost on the prospect.

“It was a great experience to travel with the team and have fun,” Lagrange said. “It leaves you wanting more, and it gives you hunger to keep working harder to get it.”