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MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 23: Starting pitcher Carlos Lagrange #84 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of the spring training game at Sloan Park on March 23, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees bullpen has struggled recently. 

After a complete implosion against the New York Mets, closer David Bednar has an ERA north of five. In addition to the closer’s struggles, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, and Ryan Yarbrough haven’t had much success either. 

For the most part, the Yankee bullpen has been very solid. But outside of a few trusted hurlers, some inconsistencies could bleed through in October. 

Fortunately for the Bronx, they’ve got a savior waiting in the minor leagues. 

The Yankees Should Consider Calling Up Carlos Lagrange 

Yankees’ analyst Ryan Garcia with Fireside Yankees is adamant that it’s time to push the Carlos Lagrange button. 

“The New York Yankees need to call up Carlos Lagrange,” Garcia said on Instagram. He continued, “The Yankee bullpen has been a disaster lately. They have blown lead after lead after lead on the recent road trip, and instead of the team being 5-3 for this road trip, they fall to 2-6. The AL East is slipping before their very eyes, and they need to act fast. Carlos Lagrange would be the perfect way to address this bullpen. They lack power pitchers, elite swing-and-miss stuff, and Lagrange provides both.” 

Lagrange has a fastball that averages out around 99 mph and has touched 103 mph. What makes him a different beast is his assortment of accompanying offerings. He pairs high heat with a cutter, changeup, and a slider. For such a young pitcher to have so many looks, it’s encouraging to say the least. And if the Yankee prospect wasn’t intimidating enough already, he stands at a hulking 6’7 “, 248 lbs. If he were to be called up, New York would easily have the tallest team in the league, featuring other skyscraper talents Spencer Jones and Aaron Judge. 

Lagrange Is Primed For The Show

The 22-year-old has a 4.23 ERA in the minors thus far in 2026. After a dominant spring training, the numbers have somewhat slowed. The one thing that hasn’t taken a hit is the strikeouts. Lagrange is setting down 12.2 batters per nine via way of the K. When converting from the minor leagues to the Major Leagues, the best device to have is strike three. Lagrange has it in troves. 

Another subtle detail to this equation is the presence of pitching coach Matt Blake. In his days with the Yankees, Blake has made a habit of turning around the careers of middling, high-ceiling arms. Giving him a chance to work with a talent like Lagrange feels like a match made in heaven. The Yankees have all the pieces; now it’s time to start putting them together. 

Yankees’ Fans React to Lagrange’s 2026 Season 

Here’s what the Bronx is saying about their flamethrowing prospect: 

Boogie Muse: “Yankees #4 prospect Carlos Lagrange is someone I’d like to see the @Yankees use out the bullpen as a shutdown power arm. #repbx.”

@wrestling_1000: “Carlos Lagrange has prevented the #Yankees for not trading for Mason Miller or Jhoan Duran.” 

Andrew Krawsek: “Right now the way they can fix the team is to bring up Carlos Lagrange and Oswaldo Cabrera.”

Ryan Garcia: “Carlos Lagrange averaged 100 MPH on his four-seam fastball last night, and has a new 99 MPH sinker. The Yankees’ rotation leads MLB in ERA and K-BB% and they have this guy in Triple-A waiting in the wings.”

Greg Mazzo: “When the entire rotation is fully healthy, we’re talking about Ryan Weathers (most likely) going to the bullpen along with potentially Carlos Lagrange getting called up. Weathers I think can be a good arm out of the bullpen, but Lagrange if he pans out, it would be huge.”