5 Yankees pitching prospects you should know, according to scouts
Yankees pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez reports to spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
TAMPA, Fla. — Spring training results do not matter for veterans and young players who are assured of making a club.
They do matter for those competing for available roster spots. And they matter at least somewhat for unproven players — especially prospects — as a standout spring training can provide a significant boost in organizational standing going into the regular season.
In recent days, Newsday sampled multiple scouts assigned to the Yankees' system for their thoughts on some of the club’s top pitching prospects in camp.
Carlos Lagrange, RHP
The 6-7, 248-pound Lagrange, 22, signed out of the Dominican Republic in February 2022 for only $10,000, is considered by many to be the club’s top pitching prospect. Lagrange, with a fastball clocked as high as 103 mph, went 11-8 with a 3.53 ERA for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, striking out 168 and walking 62 in 120 innings.
Scout’s take: “They’ve done a nice job with him. Really tall guys, they usually take longer to develop consistency in their delivery in terms of staying connected to all their limbs. It usually takes time and he’s right where he needs to be. He’s working on a two-seam [fastball] to lefties that’s got a lot of life; the four-seamer has good ride at the top of the zone. The other thing he did a nice job of was holding runners. It was a problem at the beginning of the year and was much better by August. Secondary stuff isn’t there yet but . . . it’s just about consistency.”
Ben Hess, RHP
The Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2024 draft went 7-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts between Hudson Valley and Somerset. The 6-5, 255-pound Hess spent 2025 working on, among other things, improving his changeup and curveball.
Scout’s take: “He showed nice improvement as the season progressed. Early in the year, he was throwing too many slow, loopy curveballs. He ditched that after the All-Star break and went to a harder breaking ball. He became much more aggressive and pitched much more like a professional. He’s a big, strong guy, thick frame. Reminds me of [former big-leaguer] Lance Lynn. Needs more consistency, but for his first full season, it was good.”
Elmer Rodriguez, RHP
Rodriguez, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2021 and came to the Yankees in December 2024 as part of the trade that sent catcher Carlos Narvaez to Boston. The 6-3, 160-pound Rodriguez ended the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after starting with High-A Hudson Valley, going 11-8 with a 2.58 ERA overall (he struck out 176 and walked 57 in 150 innings).
Scout’s take: “I think his stuff is as good as Lagrange’s. He made really nice strides last year. He looked like more of a pitcher — more composure, better mound presence. He showed the ability to throw more consistent strikes than when he was with the Red Sox. A legit 70 fastball (scouts use a 20-80 scale) that he can locate to both sides. It sits 96-99 [mph]. Secondary stuff needs to improve, but that should come with more experience.”
Kyle Carr, LHP
Carr, a third-round pick of the Yankees in 2023, went 8-7 with a 2.64 ERA in stints with Hudson Valley and Somerset. Not a fireballer, Carr struck out 117 and walked 55 in 133 innings.
Scout’s take: “I’ve never seen him pitch well. Heard about all the press clippings, but the performance never really matched the accolades for me. He doesn’t have enough command. Fastball command is really spotty. I think it’s going to be more challenging for him as he goes up the ladder. But he’s lefthanded, so you have to keep him in play.”
Brendan Beck, RHP
A second-round pick of the Yankees in 2021, Beck did not make his professional debut until 2023 after missing ’22 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old missed 2024 because of an elbow injury before going 13-5 with a 3.36 ERA last season between Somerset and Scranton, striking out 123 and walking 36 in 131 1/3 innings.
Scout’s take: “The medical history really concerns me. Doesn’t have a big fastball [low 90s] and really relies on control and command. Has the stuff to compete in big leagues but not a lot of reps. Has shown the ability to throw strikes to both sides and throw his secondary stuff when behind in the count to keep hitters off balance. His ability to throw his secondary stuff in unfavorable counts allowed his fastball to play up a little bit. But he’s lost so much development time. He needs to get going.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
