As pitchers and catchers get ready to report to spring training in Florida, the Yankees have made a quiet but telling roster move: right-hander Justin Lange has been released from the organization, ending a four-year stint that never quite got off the ground.
Lange’s name might ring a bell for fans who keep tabs on prospect pipelines. He was the 34th overall pick in the 2020 draft-a first-round compensation pick by the Padres out of a Texas high school.
A big-bodied righty with electric stuff and raw potential, Lange was seen as a high-ceiling arm with the kind of upside that gets scouts excited. So much so, in fact, that the Yankees acquired him straight-up for Luke Voit ahead of the 2022 season.
But baseball development is rarely linear, and Lange’s journey through the minors was anything but smooth. Injuries were a constant hurdle.
Over four seasons in the Yankees’ system, he managed just 42 appearances, missing all of 2024 due to a shoulder injury. He returned last year for a brief stint, logging nine outings between rookie ball and Low-A, but never found the rhythm or consistency needed to climb the ladder.
Now 24, Lange exits the organization with 51 total minor league appearances and 153 1/3 innings under his belt. His career ERA sits at 5.51-a number that doesn’t jump off the page-but the strikeout totals tell a different story.
He punched out 221 batters in those innings, showcasing the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that once made him a top-10 prospect in the Padres’ system. The flip side?
Command has been a major issue. Lange issued 6.7 walks per nine innings, a figure that’s hard to ignore and one that ultimately limited his ability to develop into a reliable arm.
There’s no sugarcoating it: this is a tough break for a pitcher who once carried first-round expectations. But there’s still a glimmer of possibility. Lange is young enough-and his raw stuff is intriguing enough-that another organization might take a flyer, especially if he can prove he’s healthy heading into 2026.
For now, though, the Yankees are moving forward without him, trimming a once-promising arm from the depth chart as they turn their attention to a new season.