Carlos Lagrange, a top pitching prospect for the New York Yankees, has drawn significant attention at the team’s spring training in Tampa. His fastball, which consistently reaches triple digits, has impressed both teammates and coaches, including former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole.
“It’s like, silly. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cole said. “It’s wild. I’m just blown away by the velocity every time.”
During a live batting practice session at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday, Cole and Lagrange alternated innings before the Yankees’ 3-0 win over the Rays. Cole threw two innings as part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and reached 97 mph with strong command. Lagrange pitched three innings and overpowered hitters with his speed.
The 22-year-old prospect was pleased to hear Cole’s praise. “If he thinks that about me,” Lagrange said, “it’s really good.”
Lagrange exceeded 100 mph several times in a recent outing against the Twins, striking out batters with a mix of high-velocity fastballs and breaking pitches. He described one sequence where he intentionally set up a strikeout with an inside fastball followed by a sweeper.
Cole acknowledged Lagrange’s youth and early experience in major league camp but remained impressed by his ability to throw hard without apparent effort. “All these factors are contributing to him still throwing hard, but it’s amazing. It doesn’t look like he’s trying. It looks relatively easy, for the amount of freaking 101s I’ve seen in a row,” Cole said.
Jasson Domínguez faced Lagrange for the first time on Friday and found the experience challenging: “I’ll tell you — I’d never faced him, but I wasn’t expecting that,” Domínguez said. “I knew he throws hard, but the way his pitches move, his mechanics … He’s also got a slide-step that he’s doing. It’s really good.”
Domínguez believes Lagrange could make an impact for the Yankees this season: “I think he can be a great pitcher for us,” Domínguez said. “He definitely can help the team. He’s still young, but I think he’s got great stuff.”
Manager Aaron Boone has compared Lagrange to Dellin Betances based on his performance and potential.
Lagrange recalled reaching 100 mph for the first time at age 20 while playing in the Florida Complex League—a moment that boosted his confidence after years of work: “You’ve worked so hard for something, and then you see the results right there — it’s so good,” he said.
Despite making high-velocity pitching appear routine, Lagrange emphasized that it requires consistent mechanics and mental focus: “I get it; it might look easy,” Lagrange said. “But the reality is, it’s not easy. You need consistency with your mechanics, with your aggressiveness, with your mind, too.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman previously described this year’s camp as “an Ivy League education” for prospects like Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez.
Lagrange has taken advantage of learning opportunities from veterans such as Gerrit Cole and Max Fried during camp: “I’ve chatted with Gerrit about pitches and execution,” Lagrange said. “I’ve chatted with Max Fried about building pitches, doing [pitcher field practice], how to be really good at it. And I’ve chatted with [Ryan] Weathers, too, about his changeup, how to execute it and how to be consistent.”
Jasson Domínguez summed up expectations for Lagrange’s future: “I think he’s going to be big-time for us,” Domínguez said. “From what I’ve seen, he definitely can make it happen this year.”