Yankees Flamethrower Wins 2026 James P. Dawson Award

To no surprise, Carlos Lagrange was the 2026 representation for the New York Yankees James P. Dawson Award.

Bryan Hoch broke the news on social media as Lagrange was recognized as the most outstanding rookie in Yankees camp.

His reward? A spot in the minors. Lagrange certainly proved his worth to the Yankees in this last month but they're content on what they have currently in their starting rotation.

Lagrange certainly gave Ryan Weathers and Luis Gil a run for thier money but manager Aaron Boone isn't ready to have Lagrange in their big league rotation just yet. He seems poised to make noise this season, but it'll potentially be another few months before that's the case.

Carlos Lagrange Named Most Outstanding Rookie

Carlos Lagrange has won the 2026 James P. Dawson Award, issued to the most outstanding rookie in #Yankees camp.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 22, 2026

Rookie wise, there wasn't a ton of competition for Lagrange. The only players who lived up to the hype offensively were Paul Goldschmidt, Jasson Dominguez, and Spencer Jones. Max Schuemann and Jonathan Ornelas were impressive as well, but obviously Lagrange has a bit of an age gap compared to most of these players.

The Yankees flamethrower got a ton of attention this spring due to the number of pitches he threw at 100+ mph. Elmer Rodriguez was the main focal point at the start of camp, but Lagrange quickly won the battle and proved that by taking home this award.

While it sucks to see him start in the minors, it ultimately feels like the right decision. Throwing him into the majors right now isn't exactly the best way to introduce him to this team, especially with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon returning sooner rather than later.

Lagrange's Spring Isn't Over Yet

Congratulations to Carlos Lagrange on winning the @Yankees' 2026 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the most outstanding rookie in Spring Training.

In four spring appearances, Lagrange has gone 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA (13.2IP, 6H, 2R/1ER, 4BB, 13K, 1HR). pic.twitter.com/CE8d3mqKkM
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) March 22, 2026

New York announced that despite putting Lagrange back in minor league camp, he'd be making the trip to Arizona with them for their final Spring Training series against the Chicago Cubs. Lagrange is set to start on March 23. Seeing as the Yankees Opening Day is two days later, it's quite impressive the team is bringing him with them.

It's common knowledge that he won't make the Opening Day roster but Lagrange's numbers speak for themselves. Other than the impressive fastballs he's been throwing his 13.2 innings are fifth on the team and in that time he's recorded 13 strikeouts.

Lagrange's spring ERA currently sits at 0.66. Keep in mind, the team's average is 3.92 with starters like Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers both being north of that number. Lagrange may have only started one game but he's 1-0 with a save and hold in four total appearances.

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