Yankees Pitcher Who Stood Out Week One

After a solid first week that ended with a win Blue Jays win, one Yankees pitcher made sure the rotation concerns felt a little less loud.

Feb 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning in a Spring Training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees opened spring training in Tampa with real concerns around their rotation. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are both starting the year on the injured list, and the questions around who fills that gap have been loud since the offseason ended.

But week one of Grapefruit League play has been a different kind of story. The mound has actually been the most encouraging place in camp, with several arms showing up and reminding fans that this organization has depth. And right at the center of all of it is one name nobody can stop talking about.

Carlos Lagrange has taken over camp. The 22-year-old right-hander, signed out of Bayaguana, Dominican Republic for just $10,000 in 2022, has gone from a low-budget international signing to the Yankees' top pitching prospect. At 6-foot-7 and 248 pounds, he does not just look like a pitcher; he looks like a problem.

Before Grapefruit League games began, he struck out Aaron Judge on a 102.6 mph fastball in live batting practice.

Judge was not shy about it either. After facing him in live BP, he called Lagrange a frontline starter for the Yankees, which tells you everything about how camp has gone for the 22-year-old so far.

Carlos Lagrange strikes out Aaron Judge on three pitches. Last one at 102.6 mph. pic.twitter.com/Z4dODwf0Hn

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 16, 2026

His first game outing against the Tigers brought a 102.4 mph reading and a three-pitch sequence so sharp it went viral.

Then against the Twins, he went three scoreless innings, struck out four, and threw 12 pitches at or above 100 mph, 11 for strikes. Last season, he struck out 12.6 batters per nine across 120 innings between High-A and Double-A, one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors.

The only real debate is what role he fills in 2026. With Cole and Rodon out, pitching coach Matt Blake has acknowledged the bullpen could be Lagrange's fastest path to the Bronx. His walk rate at Double-A was 5.74 per nine last season, and command has always been the one thing separating him from a full-time rotation spot. The stuff is not the question. The zone is.

Yankees Spring Training 2026: Other Pitchers Who Impressed

Certainly​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Lagrange was the main attraction but he was not the only one worth watching.

Ben Hess, the 2024 first-round pick, quietly put together one of the better outings of the week in his organizational spring debut against the Pirates. He struck out five across three innings, sitting 93-94 mph and flashing a sweeping slider with a sharp two-plane curveball.

Ryan Weathers picked up right where that momentum left off. The left-hander, who came over from Miami this offseason, touched 99.8 mph in his Yankees debut and struck out five across 3.2 innings against Washington. He is one of the pitchers expected to step up in the rotation this season, and based on week one, that case is already being made.

The rotation picture for 2026 is still being figured out. But if week one is any indication, the answers might already be in that bullpen.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!