Yankees Prospect Carlos Lagrange Shows Off Unreal Skill Set

Throwing a comp on a young player always seems to backfire. All those Mickey Mantle comparisons to Jasson Dominguez have hurt him as he tries to find steady playing time with the New York Yankees. Still, every now and then, a young player shows enough of a particular skill set, and it's hard to ignore seeing that player in them. In this case, Carlos Lagrange throws so hard and is so filthy that it's hard to ignore that he has a little bit of Jacob deGrom in him.

This isn't to say that Lagrange will completely dominate for years and years, the way deGrom did over in Flushing in the late 2010s. If there's one thing they have in common, though, it's that ability to throw hard and maintain that at baseline.

The world got to see that when the Yankees closed out their exhibition game against the Toronto Blue Jays with Lagrange on the mound. Dominant is one way to describe what he did.

In four innings of work, Lagrange pitched a shutout. He struck out three, walked just one, didn't allow a single hit, and got the save.

High Velo

What was most remarkable was how hard he threw that game. He hurled 42 fastballs and averaged 101 MPH on them. Five of his nine swings-and-misses came as a result of it.

Carlos Lagrange, 102.8 mph & 103.1 mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/LLEd2hk2PS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 12, 2026

With that prolific heater, Lagrange averaged 92.9 MPH on his changeup and 91.1 on his slider. This does feel reminiscent of deGrom, who, in his final years with the Mets, averaged in the high 90s with his four-seamer and was in the low 90s with his secondary pitches.

Jacob deGrom, Filthy 92mph Changeup and 91mph Slider/Sword. ⚔️

8Ks thru 4. pic.twitter.com/Q04LA2fpq8
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 6, 2020

If Lagrange does in the regular season what he did tonight, he'll be a tick above deGrom as far as his stuff is concerned. If he's a third as dominant as deGrom, though, in his career, most fans would take that, too. He was on a different level in his heyday, and only a few pitchers in the sport's history can do what he did.

Praising the Youngster

After the game, Lagrange got high praise from teammates and his manager. One person impressed with how the prospect performed was Cam Schlittler, who, last year at this time, was in Lagrange's position. Granted, Schlittler didn't have the fanfare or a hype machine around him.

"He's always been a guy who could chuck it pretty hard," Schlittler said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I thought he was really raw back then; compared to myself, I didn't have the velo, but I was kind of raw, still trying to develop pitches, still trying to get in the zone. It's been great to see him develop."

Mar 11, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Aaron Boone also gave the youngster high praise. He's one of the people Lagrange needs to impress most.

"He just continues to be really, really excellent," Boone said. "This is all we've seen from his live [batting practices], now carrying into games. Just getting to know him, we're obviously excited about it."

Whether Lagrange is the next deGrom remains to be seen. Being half as good would be incredible. At some point this year, he'll get a chance to show off his skills and see what he can bring at the big league level. He'll be a Pitching Ninja mainstay if he continues to find new levels to his game.

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