Yankees Prospect Lagrange Impresses with Blazing Fastball

22-year-old right-hander strikes out Aaron Judge in live BP, raising expectations for 2026 debut

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The New York Yankees are extremely high on pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange, who recently impressed in a live batting practice session by striking out star slugger Aaron Judge with a 102.6 mph fastball. Lagrange, who posted strong numbers across High-A and Double-A in 2025, is seen as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter for the Yankees as soon as this season.

Why it matters

The Yankees have been searching for homegrown power arms to bolster their pitching staff, and Lagrange's performance against Judge has raised expectations that he could make an impact in the Bronx as soon as 2026. With the team in win-now mode, Lagrange's development could be fast-tracked if he continues to dominate at the upper levels of the minors.

The details

In the live BP session, Lagrange first gave up a home run to Judge on a 99.3 mph fastball, but then came back to strike him out on a 102.6 mph heater that caught the bottom of the zone. The Yankees sent a lineup of star hitters including Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham against Lagrange, and the 22-year-old didn't back down. His 2025 season across High-A and Double-A showed elite strikeout numbers (12.60 K/9) and an ability to limit home runs (0.60 HR/9), though his walk rate (4.65 BB/9) is an area that needs refinement.

  • Lagrange struck out Aaron Judge in a live batting practice session on Monday at Yankees spring training.

The players

Carlos Lagrange

A 22-year-old right-handed pitching prospect in the Yankees' system who has impressed with his blazing fastball and strikeout ability.

Aaron Judge

The star slugger for the New York Yankees, a three-time MVP who was struck out by Lagrange in the live BP session.

Matt Blake

The Yankees' pitching coach, who has praised Lagrange's development and said he is ahead of where top prospect Cam Schlittler was at this point last year.

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What they’re saying

“He's going to be special. You can look up at the radar and see 103 mph, but I think it's also just the presence he has on the mound. We set up some nasty lineups against him today, and he didn't care. He wanted to be out there, and he came right after us.”

— Aaron Judge (MLB.com)

“That's what you need if you're going to play in the Bronx. You've got to have that demeanor, that it doesn't matter who's in front of you or what happens. So I'm excited about him, excited about his stuff.”

— Aaron Judge (MLB.com)

What’s next

The Yankees plan to start Lagrange at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the 2026 season, allowing him to continue developing his command against advanced hitters. However, if he continues to dominate like he did in 2025, the team could fast-track him to the majors to help bolster their rotation or bullpen.

The takeaway

Lagrange's impressive performance against some of the game's elite hitters has raised the Yankees' expectations for the young right-hander, who could force his way onto the major league roster as soon as midseason 2026 if he continues to refine his command and build on his electric stuff.