Yankees' Bullpen Could Get Much Needed Boost from Top Prospect Soon

The Yankees can get a boost to their bullpen from a young flame thrower with the ability to hit triple digits with ease.

Is Carlos Lagrange's MLB call-up right on the horizon? | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Yankees headed into the season with an incomplete roster. It was due to the loss of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón before Opening Day even arrived. The thought was that they would stay afloat without them and then, once both returned, the Yankees would figure out where to operate from there.

Of course, with both here, the one roadblock is that Max Fried got hurt just before Cole returned, meaning the triumvirate of Fried, Cole, and Rodón would have to wait just a bit longer to be united. Thankfully, the contusion to his elbow wasn't anything catastrophic, so at some point, last year's big free agent will be back in the rotation. The Yankees can soon start planning as their roster takes shape.

One piece of the puzzle could be a top pitching prospect who has yet to don the big leagues but showed everybody a preview of his stuff when, in February, he blew a 103 mph fastball by Aaron Judge just after pitchers and catchers reported. According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, Carlos Lagrange is close to making his debut, and his role won't be in the rotation.

"Brian Cashman told The Post that there has been an ongoing discussion within the Yankees front office that has continued on when to move Lagrange to the pen to see what he could do for the 2026 team," Sherman wrote on Thursday.

102.8 mph ⛽️⛽️⛽️@Yankees No. 1 pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange hurls the fastest pitch tracked by Statcast in the Minors this season as he fans 8 with 12 swings-and-misses in 5 IP for the Triple-A @swbrailriders. pic.twitter.com/7le96MZPyP

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 13, 2026

This news is on the heels of Lagrange coming off his best start in Triple-A. In 5 2/3 innings, Lagrange struck out six and allowed just one run. That exemplary high heat was on display as well. During the start, Lagrange topped out at 99.8 mph and had 22 pitches or more that were over 97 mph.

He had five swings and misses off that fastball. Two off the slider and one off the changeup.

As a starter, Lagrange won't hit those triple digits with regularity. One of the few people on this planet who can do so is probably Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski. He's the outlier of outliers, though. It's a different story in the bullpen for Lagrange. He can let those 103 mph pitches fly without fear of needing to pace himself.

The comp for Lagrange

The comparison for Lagrange has been Dellin Betances, but that only feels like it's because he's tall. It does fit when you consider Betances had dominant stuff, but another starter-turned-reliever comparison could be Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees' pen is in a similar state to what it was then, too.

In 2007, the Kyle Farnsworth acquisition was still not working, and the Yankees desperately needed a boost to the bullpen. They plucked the hard-throwing Chamberlain from the minors, and he dominated right from the start.

Will history repeat itself when it comes to the Yankees' bullpen situation? | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

Chamberlain allowed one earned run in 24 innings. He also had a modern flair in the way he struck out batters. He struck out 34 in total during that short stint. Chamberlain was so dominant that of the 91 batters he faced, a third of them ended up whiffing.

Lagrange can take a similar path to the majors. When it will happen is another question. Unless something goes terribly wrong with the starting rotation and they need him, his one path to the Yankees' lineup can be through the bullpen. The unit can desperately use all the help it can get, after all.

There's a shot Lagrange can be this generation's Chamberlain—just without the midges. Let's see if he can live up to the hype.