Anthony Rieber: Yankees' Gerrit Cole, Carlos Lagrange are big-time arms

"I don't have any doubts he could help us right now," Wells said. No, of course we are not talking about Gerrit Cole, who threw 10 pitches in his first outing since having Tommy John surgery a year and a week ago and looked fantastic. It was another step in Cole's steady progression to rejoining the Yankees in late May or early June, and his stuff was "as good as can be," manager Aaron Boone said."

"The 22-year-old flamethrower hasn't pitched above Double-A. He still has some things to work on, mostly throwing consistent strikes, Boone said. But Lagrange, who is 6-7 and 248 pounds, has something you can't teach: Presence. He has it on the mound with his 100-plus mile per hour fastball, and he had it in the locker room during his postgame media session."

"When you ask what the Yankees need as the antidote to the very fair charges that they are "running it back" in 2026, you first have to look at Cole and Lagrange. Two guys who were not on the 2025 Yankees and who are not guaranteed to be on this year's team. But if both are - Cole regaining his Cy Young form and Lagrange making the leap from prospect to stud major leaguer - then the Yankees will look a lot different."

Carlos Lagrange, a 22-year-old Dominican pitcher, delivered an impressive performance with four shutout innings in the Yankees' 1-0 victory over the Red Sox during spring training. Standing 6-7 and weighing 248 pounds, Lagrange possesses a 100-plus mph fastball and demonstrates notable presence both on the mound and in the clubhouse. While he has not pitched above Double-A and needs to improve strike consistency, catcher Austin Wells expressed confidence in his immediate major-league readiness. Lagrange himself confidently answered affirmatively when asked if he felt major-league ready. His performance, combined with Gerrit Cole's recovery from Tommy John surgery, represents potential significant additions to the Yankees' roster for the upcoming season.

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