Carlos Lagrange Strikes Out Aaron Judge-and Sends a Message to the Yankees
We’re not even a full week into spring training, and Carlos Lagrange is already turning heads-and turning Aaron Judge around. During live batting practice on Monday, the 6-foot-7 right-hander delivered a jaw-dropping three-pitch sequence that ended with a 102.6 mph fastball blowing past the three-time AL MVP.
The pitch was low and inside, catching the bottom edge of the zone with armside run. Judge swung through it, and just like that, Lagrange had made one of the best hitters in the game look human.
Now, spring training is full of moments that get overhyped. But this one?
This one felt different. Lagrange didn’t just flash big velocity-he showed the kind of stuff that makes hitters uncomfortable, even hitters like Judge who’ve seen just about everything baseball can throw at them.
The Fastball: A Legitimate Weapon
Let’s start with the obvious: Lagrange’s fastball isn’t just fast-it’s elite. It’s a 70-grade pitch on the scouting scale, the kind of grade reserved for offerings that miss bats in any league. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 79th overall among prospects, and that heater is a big reason why.
The velocity has been there for a while. Even during a shortened 2024 season that was derailed by back inflammation, Lagrange was sitting in the 96-98 mph range.
In 2025, he averaged 98 mph over 120 innings split between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He even touched 103.
Among minor leaguers who threw at least 400 four-seamers last season, only five matched that kind of top-end velocity.
But it’s not just about lighting up the radar gun. What separates Lagrange’s fastball is the movement-natural armside run and late carry that make it incredibly tough to square up.
That pitch to Judge wasn’t a straight-line bullet; it was a tailing missile that darted just enough to avoid contact. When located, it’s nearly unhittable.
Command Questions? Yes. But Don’t Panic.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: control. Lagrange walked 5.74 batters per nine innings at Double-A last season.
That’s high, no sugarcoating it. And with his long limbs and three-quarters arm slot, repeating his delivery consistently has been a challenge.
But here’s the flip side: he still posted a 3.22 ERA in those 78.1 innings. Why?
Because he also struck out 104 batters. That’s a K-rate most closers would envy.
When you can miss bats like that, you can afford to live a little on the wild side.
The Yankees aren’t overly concerned about the walks, and there’s reason to believe they’re right. Lagrange showed signs of progress throughout 2025, tightening up his mechanics and getting more direct to the plate. That’s what you want to see from a 22-year-old with elite stuff-growth, not perfection.
A Deep Arsenal, Not a One-Pitch Show
While the fastball gets the headlines, Lagrange isn’t just a flamethrower. He’s got a full starter’s arsenal.
His mid-80s slider has sweep and bite, and he mixes in an upper-80s cutter that gives hitters a different look. But the real development in 2025 was his changeup.
Sitting in the low 90s with depth and fade, it was actually more effective than his slider at times, according to MLB Pipeline.
That’s a big deal. To stick in a rotation, you need more than one or two pitches-you need a mix that can get hitters out multiple times through the order.
Lagrange is building that mix. If the command continues to improve, he has the ceiling of a frontline starter.
If not? He still profiles as a dominant late-inning weapon, the kind of arm that can shut down the heart of a lineup in October.
Why This Moment Matters
Striking out Aaron Judge in a spring training BP session might not change the course of the season, but it does tell us something important. Judge is one of the most disciplined, powerful hitters in the game.
He’s seen every pitch type, every arm angle, and every velocity. And Lagrange made him look overmatched.
That’s not nothing.
It’s also the kind of moment that can shift a prospect’s trajectory. The Yankees have a plan in place-Lagrange is expected to spend most of 2026 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, working under the automated strike zone and refining his command.
But if he keeps showing this kind of dominance in camp? The front office might have to rethink that timeline.
Lagrange has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Yankees’ system. Monday’s strikeout wasn’t just a highlight-it was a preview. A glimpse of what could be coming to the Bronx sooner than expected.