TAMPA — Coming into camp, the idea that there would be an actual decision to make on whether Carlos Lagrange should break with the Yankees would have seemed a bit far-fetched.
That is how impressive the club’s top pitching prospect has been all spring.
On Thursday, the Yankees finally informed the 22-year-old right-hander that they were reassigning him to minor league camp, but did so with the belief that it won’t be the last time they see Lagrange this season.
“He’s made it a difficult decision, which coming into this, I wouldn’t have even thought there was a decision,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s definitely got everyone’s attention. I love where he’s at. I would not be surprised if he is impacting us early, middle, later part of the season, I don’t know. But I can just tell you we’re all very excited about his continued development and what we think he can mean to our team at some point.”
Earlier in the day, general manager Brian Cashman told The Post that Lagrange had “been fantastic” and had “opened a lot of eyes.”
“I just knew before this spring started that he would be the talk of camp because he throws 100-plus,” Cashman said.
Carlos Lagrange throws a pitch during a Feb. 21 Grapefruit League game. Charles Wenzelberg
But the flame-throwing Lagrange did more than just light up the radar gun, though he did plenty of that, too.
Most importantly, he showed a much better ability to consistently throw strikes than he has in the minor leagues, walking only four in 13 ²/₃ innings while posting a 0.66 ERA.
He also demonstrated a good feel for his secondary pitches, which, along with the improved command, could go a long way in making sure he stays a starter in the long run.
It is possible that Lagrange, who is expected to start one of the Yankees’ exhibitions against the Cubs in Arizona next week, could get up to The Bronx quicker in a relief role this season.
But the way he pitched this spring only reinforced the high ceiling of what he could look like as a starter.
“You could imagine it right now being really effective in certain roles,” Boone said. “So I don’t know if we were ever going to break [camp] with him, but I would say we’ve at least talked about it.
“What he’s done the last six weeks definitely made us think maybe he’s closer than we think.”
Lagrange’s surge coincided with some rough spring outings for rotation members Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers.
Gil, who will make his final spring start Friday night, has still been searching for the swing-and-miss fastball that earned him the Rookie of the Year in 2024, and has not had the same quality of stuff so far this spring.
Carlos Lagrange throws a pitch during a March 18 Grapefruit League game for the Yankees. Imagn Images
Weathers, meanwhile, got tagged for seven runs on eight hits (including two home runs) in three-plus innings against the Blue Jays on Thursday, leaving him with an 11.68 ERA across four Grapefruit League starts.
Boone reiterated Thursday that like Gil, Weathers is in the five-man rotation — saying neither was “far off” from where they need to be — though the Yankees are still determining whether they will start the season with a four-man rotation with multiple off days over the first two weeks.
“[Weathers] is healthy and the stuff is in line with where it needs to be,” Boone said. “I don’t put a lot of stock in numbers in spring.”
Still, certain numbers can leave lasting impressions, like the ones Lagrange made on coaches, front office members and veteran pitchers alike.
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Earlier this spring, Gerrit Cole said it was “silly” what Lagrange was doing with his consistent triple-digit fastball. Max Fried echoed that sentiment Thursday.
“I’ve never seen velocity like that consistently, and doing it over a bunch of innings,” Fried said. “He works really hard. He’s really open to a lot of information and obviously his results speak for themselves. He’s been really good and he’ll definitely impact this team.”
Over the course of six weeks this spring, Lagrange made that a “when” rather than an “if.”
“First off, I’m proud of him,” Boone said. “It’s my first chance getting to be around him and getting to see the person. That’s what I’ve been so impressed with. His work ethic, his confidence, his adaptability, his coachability, his competitiveness. He’s a leader with the younger guys over in [player development].
“He’s human and the buzz around him and the talk around him, he’s earned that with how excellent he’s pitched here. … Really excited about him and confident he’s probably going to impact us in a big way at some point.”