New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has revealed a concern for one of the team's top prospects.
Despite the fact that the New York Yankees' farm system tends to fall near the bottom of most rankings heading into 2026, there is no question that they have a bunch of compelling prospects on the cusp of making the major leagues.
One of them is pitcher Carlos Lagrange, who has flashed tremendous potential in Spring Training and can touch 103 mph with his fastball.
There have been questions about whether or not Lagrange will be a starter of a reliever once he hits the bigs, with some likening him to former Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances.
Manager Aaron Boone has been raving about Lagrange, but he has also revealed one significant concern that could plague the young flamethrower.
"The biggest question mark is, can he be efficient enough of a strike-thrower to be at the top of a rotation?" Boone told reporters. "Everything suggests you want to find that out."
Command has been an issue for Lagrange thus far in his minor-league career, as the righty has averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings across four seasons in the Yankees' system. He trimmed that number down to 4.7 last season, but that still isn't exactly where New York wants him to be.
While you obviously want your starting pitchers throwing strikes, it's actually even more necessary for bullpen arms, which is why I don't understand the thought process that says Lagrange is better suited for a relief role.
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.Yes, he does have closer stuff, and given his size (he stands 6-foot-7) and his velocity, he is similar to the 6-foot-8 Betances, who was a dominant force for New York a decade ago. But if he can't find the strike zone, that's a problem.
It should be noted that Lagrange's control has been better in Spring Training, as he has issued three free passes across 9.2 frames thus far. But that's a very small sample size.
Really, the ultimate goal for any elite pitching prospect is for them to be a frontline starter. You'll obviously have much more of an impact throwing 200 innings than 70. So when it comes to Lagrange, that should be the objective.
But Boone has not ruled out the idea of Lagrange hitting the major leagues this season, and given the depth of the Yankees' starting rotation when healthy, Lagrange would probably debut in the bullpen if he does get the call.
We shouldn't look any further than Joba Chamberlain to see what that can do to a young, talented arm, so I'm not necessarily a fan of bringing up Lagrange just to stash him in the bullpen.
We'll see what the Yankees decide to do with the 22-year-old. There is still plenty of time for them to weigh their decision.
Yankees Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Yankees. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.