NEW YORK – With triple-digit velocity that jumped on hitters and prompted Gerrit Cole to say he had “never seen anything like it,” Carlos Lagrange made a lasting impression throughout his first big league Spring Training.
It was easy for Cole, Max Fried and others to envision what kind of impact Lagrange might have at the big league level. As catcher Austin Wells remarked late in camp, “I don’t have any doubts he could help us right now.”
That day now appears to be growing closer, with the Yankees announcing Tuesday that the 23-year-old Lagrange will shift to a relief role with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, accelerating his potential path to the Major Leagues.
“We definitely view him long term as a starter,” manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. “But in the 2026 lens, there’s a chance for him to potentially impact us out of the bullpen while not really disrupting anything moving forward.”
Rated by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect and their No. 2 pitching prospect, the 6-foot-7, 248-pound Lagrange was 0-3 with a 4.41 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts. Across 49 innings, he permitted 40 hits and 25 walks, striking out 63 while holding opponents to a .215 batting average.
Heat is Lagrange’s calling card, averaging 98.9 mph with his fastball this season in Triple-A and topping out at 103.0 mph. He has thrown the 29 fastest pitches by a Triple-A starter this season and 46 of the 51 fastest. He also features a slider, changeup and sweeper.
“It’s electric stuff,” Boone said. “The exciting thing for me was, really being around him for the first time, seeing the person and the competitor. How he works. You love to see a young guy go out there and perform and do well and relish the competition.
“I think we all probably had that thought of, ‘Oh, maybe he could impact us in some way, shape or form throughout the year.’”
Boone suggested that a full transition from starter to reliever could occur throughout most of June.
“You’re talking about several weeks of de-loading and then building in the [appearances] every other day,” Boone said. “So that takes a while, but we’ll see.”
Lagrange was signed for $10,000 as an international free agent in February 2022. His sizzling velocity and improving command could be a welcome addition for a Yankees bullpen that has struggled to generate whiffs.
Despite a 3.59 relief ERA that ranked 10th in the Majors entering Tuesday, their 25.8% whiff rate entering Tuesday was tied for 14th best.
“It’s been a conversation for a couple of weeks now,” Boone said.