TAMPA, Fla. – Carlos Lagrange didn’t wait for the interpreter to finish.
Asked if he believed his spring performance proves that he’s ready for the big leagues, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect nodded and said: “Yeah.”
It’s difficult to argue the point. Lagrange continued to command attention on Wednesday, striking out four over four scoreless innings in relief of Gerrit Cole in New York’s 1-0 Grapefruit League victory over the Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“I don’t have any doubts he could help us right now,” catcher Austin Wells said. “I don’t know what the process is, what that’s going to look like. But the way he pitched today, he could definitely get a lot of outs for us.”
Lagrange – the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect (No. 79 overall) – allowed two hits and one walk, extending his scoreless streak to 11 innings. His spring ERA dipped to 0.66, and the 22-year-old has tallied 13 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings.
COMPLETE YANKEES PROSPECT COVERAGE
A 6-foot-7, 248-pound right-hander, Lagrange rattled off several areas where he believes he has shown improvement during this camp.
“Attacking the zone, being able to execute with two strikes more consistently, staying calm on the mound regardless of the situation,” Lagrange said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. “I think doing that gives me a good idea that I’m ready to compete.”
Lagrange continued to flash gaudy velocity Wednesday, throwing 25 fastballs out of 60 pitches (39 strikes), averaging 99.6 mph and running triple digits nine times.
What might turn heads, though, is that all four of Lagrange’s strikeouts against the Red Sox came on other offerings. He punched out Tsung-Che Cheng and Allan Castro on changeups, Braiden Ward on a slider and Max Ferguson on a sweeper.
In all, Lagrange induced 11 swings and misses over his four innings.
“He’s shown some pitchability and strike-throwing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously I heard a lot about the stuff, but I’ve been excited about the ability to land his secondary stuff to get back in counts or to finish off at-bats. As good as his fastball is, it’s the secondary stuff that makes it really good.
“He’s tough to run on. You’d think a big guy like that [would be slow] – no, he’s 1.2 [seconds] to the plate. Just getting to know him, seeing how he works, the competitiveness and the ability to throw something at him and he takes earnest steps to apply it. He’s been impressive.”
The Red Sox were without almost all of their regulars in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League action, but it’s easy to see why Boone said “there’s a lot to be excited about.”
The Yankees appear primed to begin the regular season with a rotation of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, Will Warren and Luis Gil, while Carlos Rodón and Cole continue to work toward early season returns.
Though Lagrange pitched Wednesday in relief, the Yankees envision him continuing to build as a starter. He could begin the year back in Double-A Somerset, where he was 7-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) last season.
Where he finishes it? That’s up for debate. At this point, most signs point toward the Bronx.
“I just wanted to come here and show that I’m able to compete,” Lagrange said. “Basically, that I can help the team in any way possible. That’s something that I wanted to do coming into camp, and I feel like I’ve done that.”