Yankees' Carlos Lagrange Checks Off Key Milestone in Transition to Bullpen

He has a 1.98 ERA in June

Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange (84) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the fifth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

One of the New York Yankees' top pitching prospects, right-hander Carlos Lagrange, took a big step toward his eventual goal of making his MLB debut as a reliever later this year.

Lagrange, New York's No. 4 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, picked up the first save of his minor league career on Thursday. The 23-year-old tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to close out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders' 6-4 victory over the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 6-foot-7 flamethrower gave up one hit and struck out two, while also hitting 101.8 mph on the radar gun.

While a Triple-A save may seem trivial to some in the grand scheme of things, this is a noteworthy moment in Lagrange's short-term journey as a reliever. It'd likely be very difficult to try to replicate the adrenaline of pitching in a high-leverage situation in the Bronx, but closing out a game in the minors should help the top prospect gain more confidence in his new role.

It's only a matter of time until Carlos Lagrange joins the Yankees' bullpen

Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; A general view of the New York Yankees field before the game against the Kansas City Royals during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, the Yankees officially began using Lagrange as a reliever in Triple-A to set him up to contribute in the big league bullpen later this year. And while it's still a small sample size, the 23-year-old has seen success in six relief outings in June, posting a 1.98 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. Overall, the tall righty has a 3.88 ERA in 2026 through his first 17 Triple-A appearances, racking up 82 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings.

New York still has a long-term vision of Lagrange being a starting pitcher, but his triple-digit fastball makes it easy to see why the team feels like he could contribute in the majors this year as a reliever. If the young flamethrower can continue to adjust to being used in relief, he could also impact how the Yankees address their bullpen at the trade deadline.

After recording his first Triple-A save, the next step in Lagrange's shift to the bullpen will likely be shortening his time off between relief appearances. The Yankees might even want to see him pitch on consecutive days in the minors before deeming him ready to make his MLB debut as a reliever. But, either way, many New York fans are anxiously awaiting the hard-throwing prospect's eventual arrival in the Bronx.