ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft predicts that the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, right-hander Carlos Lagrange, “will be this year’s Cam Schlittler,” says Crockcroft in yesterday’s ESPN-published article titled; “2026 season predictions for MLB’s top prospects.”
Lagrange, who’s just 22 years old, was ranked as the Yankees’ best pitching prospect in 2025, 2nd best overall prospect in their farm system last year, in which he throws an impressive fastball that averages between 97-99 mph but can reach up to 102 mph, according to MILB.com.
He also throws a hard mid-80s sweeping slider, an upper-80s cutter, and recently added a mid-80s change-up to his pitching repertoire as well, according to MILB’s prospects website.
Lagrange, in the current MILB pipeline farm system rankings, is rated as the 79th best prospect in all of baseball heading into the 2026 season. This comes as Lagrange was ranked 74th among baseball’s prospects last season (2025). Lagrange is a big guy, listed at 6’7 248 lbs, and has plus stuff that can play at the Major League level either out of the starting rotation or perhaps the bullpen.
Lagrange Has A Very High Ceiling
Lagrange has had some control issues down in the minor leagues, but has worked on perfecting his command, and with his velocity plus movement on his pitches, has a projected “ceiling of either front-line starter or closer”, according to evaluators, reports MILB’s prospect rankings websites.
Lagrange saw significant performance improvements in 2025. He started the year at High A Hudson Valley, where he posted a 4.10 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched. However, following a promotion to Double A Somerset, Lagrange posted a 3.22 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched with 104 strikeouts.
His strikeout rate is excellent. Despite his struggles in High A last season, he managed in those 41.2 innings to strike out 64 batters. Cockroft states how Lagrange posted a “33.4% strikeout rate in 2025 in 23 starting pitching appearances and one relief appearance”, says Cockcroft.
Lagrange’s Biggest Issue He Needs To Work On
ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft further adds how Lagrange’s biggest issue right now is “control/command of his pitches”, and that “he’ll have to improve that in 2026, similar to what Schlittler did in 2025”, states Cockcroft. He adds how “Lagrange’s average fastball velocity is greater than Schlittler’s, including his cutter, change up, and slider”, states Cockcroft.
The Yankees‘ arguably most glaring weakness in 2026 is, in fact, the bullpen. With many reclamation project relievers, such as the additions of Cade Winquest, Ryan Weathers, and Angel Chivilli, the Yankees don’t have many proven pitchers in their current bullpen, aside from closer David Bednar and left-handed reliever Tim Hill.
Yankees Pitching Has A High Ceiling But Big What If Attached In 2026
Lagrange could play a key role in the Yankees’ bullpen in 2026 from a pure velocity/plus stuff and movement on his offspeed pitches, which would complement well with his elite fastball. The same could also be said for the starting rotation if the Yankees deal with more injuries between now and the regular season.
Regardless of where exactly Lagrange fits on the Yankees roster in 2026, Cockcroft predicts he will have a key role at some point with the Yankees this season if he continues to develop and stay healthy. The Yankees’ rotation and bullpen are full of what-ifs, especially with the absence of starting pitchers Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt to begin the 2026 season.
But if enough goes according to plan and the Yankees’ rotation and bullpen can get healthy in 2026, Carlos Lagrange could potentially be a massive addition to what could be one of, if not the best, pitching staffs in all of baseball this year, if they’re healthy. The most significant question mark for the 2026 Yankees, from a pitching standpoint, is health.
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