The Yankees’ 2026 season ended with 93 wins, a sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Round, and then a sweep at the hands of the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. That wasn’t the finish Aaron Boone’s club wanted, and it also left the front office with work to do this offseason.
But there was at least one clear bright spot: the club got looks at several prospects, including Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. Both were among the best players in the farm system, both became important in the second half, and both have put themselves in position to be in the Opening Day conversation next season.
Looking further ahead, though, there’s another wave of young talent that could matter in 2027. Three names stand out: Elmer Rodriguez Lagrange, Brock Carr, and Jace Avina.
Lagrange is the most intriguing of the trio, even though his debut never came this season. He was on track to reach the majors before a right capsular shoulder sprain in July slowed everything down. By late September, there was even talk that he might land on the playoff roster, after he was at Double-A Somerset taking part in live batting practice with other injured Yankees such as Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham.
Instead, Lagrange spent the full 2026 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he logged 11 starts before moving to the bullpen. As a starter, he went 0-3 with a 4.41 ERA, allowing 40 hits, 25 walks, and 24 earned runs, including eight home runs, across 49 innings. He struck out 63 and held opponents to a .215 average with a .733 OPS.
Once he shifted to relief, the ERA climbed to 4.70 in eight appearances. In 15.1 innings, he gave up 14 hits, eight earned runs, two home runs, and eight walks while striking out 22 and picking up his first career save. Opponents hit .241 against him with a .749 OPS.
The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but the stuff is hard to ignore. Prospect Savant lists his four-seam fastball at 70 grade, with a velocity of 99 mph, and his sinker averages 98 mph.
His hard-hit rate sat at 42.3%. Add in the fact that David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, and Ryan Yarbrough are all heading toward free agency, and there should be bullpen openings if Lagrange is ready to seize them.
Carr could also be in the mix if the Yankees need help in the rotation. The left-hander is ranked No. 12 in the system by MLB Pipeline, and the 24-year-old split the season between Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
In Double-A, Carr made 13 starts and went 6-5 with a 4.32 ERA. He allowed 68 hits and 27 walks in 66.2 innings, gave up seven homers, and struck out 83 while holding hitters to a .259 average.
His Triple-A stint was rougher. In eight games, seven of them starts, he went 0-3 with a 5.32 ERA, and opponents hit .280 against him.
Even so, there’s plenty in the profile to work with. Carr throws five pitches - four-seam, sweeper, cutter, sinker, and changeup - and Prospect Savant shows a 43.6% hard-hit rate, which lands in the 16th percentile.
Avina is the position player to watch. With the Yankees expected to make outfield changes next season, including not bringing back Trent Grisham and exploring more DH opportunities for Aaron Judge, the door could open for a bat like his in 2027. He can handle all three outfield spots, which only adds to the appeal.
The 23-year-old hit .254 with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, and an .817 OPS at Double-A Somerset this season. He also swiped 16 bases, giving him a little extra value on the bases. MLB Pipeline gives him a 55 arm, with 50 grades for power, run, and field.
Jasson Dominguez is already a major league player, even if the fit has not turned out the way many expected, and the Yankees could use a fresh start there. In the organizational pecking order, Avina looks like the next outfield option standing in line.
For a system that needs more certainty, these three prospects give the Yankees something to keep an eye on as 2027 approaches.
In Other News...
Spencer Jones Has Put A New Yankees Concern In Focus
Spencer Jones ended the 2026 season with the sort of profile that always keeps the Yankees interested and a little uneasy. The power was real, and so was the progress in his offensive production, but the strikeouts remained part of the conversation while his work in center field lagged behind what the organization would want from a player trying to push himself into the next level.
Jones has made it clear his offseason focus will be split between sharpening the defensive side of his game and cutting down on the swing-and-miss that has followed him. For the Yankees, that is the familiar balancing act with a prospect like this: the tools are loud enough to matter, but the path to 2027 depends on whether he can turn those flashes into something more complete. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Could Move On From Jazz For A Very Different Bat
The Yankees sweep at the hands of the Rays pushed the spotlight onto an offseason that already had plenty riding on it, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is suddenly one of the more interesting names in the mix. He would like to stay in New York, but after a rough postseason both at the plate and in the field, his status is hardly settled as the front office sorts through player decisions.
One possibility being floated is a much different type of hitter in Luis Arraez, who has built his reputation on consistency rather than power. The appeal is obvious for a Yankees club looking for more reliable offense, especially with Arraez bringing multiple All-Star nods and Silver Slugger recognition, but whether the team actually pivots in that direction remains part of the uncertainty that now hangs over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Wells' First Half Collapse Finally Has A Yankees Explanation
Austin Wells first-half slide had been one of the quieter mysteries around the Yankees, because the catchers bat simply stopped matching the progress hed shown before. The team eventually traced part of the issue to cervical headaches tied to multiple foul tips hitting his mask, a reminder of how much wear-and-tear can pile up behind the plate even when a player keeps passing concussion tests and trying to play through the discomfort.
Wells looked more like himself in the second half, and the Yankees still see enough in him to keep him in the fold. His value has never been limited to offense anyway, with his defense and the way he works with the pitching staff carrying real weight in the organizations plans. [Read more 🡒]