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SARASOTA, Fla. – There was a distinct Vanderbilt feel to the Yankees-Orioles “Spring Breakout’’ prospects game Saturday night, headlined by the Yanks’ Spencer Jones.
“It’s awesome when I get to see my former college teammates, especially now in professional baseball,’’ said the lefty slugger, after the Orioles’ walk-off, 5-4 win at Ed Smith Stadium.
There were five Vandy players represented Saturday, including Yankees’ right-handers Bryce Cunningham – “a typical SEC competitor…he’s going to come after you’’ - and Greysen Carter - “one of the strongest people I’ve ever seen in my life in the weight room,’’ per Jones’ scouting report.
A few takeaways from the Yankees’ prospects side on a warm, windy evening:
A lanky 6-foot-7, 195-pound right-hander, Lagrange brings some serious heat.
On more than one occasion during his three-inning start, Lagrange dialed up 100-mph fastballs – including back-to-back heaters to strike out Jud Fabian, Baltimore’s No. 23-ranked prospect.
“I throw this velo always,’’ said an unsurprised Lagrange, who even touched 101-mph according to the stadium scoreboard.
MLB Pipeline ranks Lagrange, 21, at No. 19 in the Yanks’ system, and he might have graded higher if not for back problems and command issues that derailed his 2024 season.
Physically, “this year I feel really good,’’ said Lagrange, terming his back injury as “minor.’’
An international free agent (Dominican Republic) signed for just $10,000 in 2022, Lagrange – named the Yanks’ No. 9 prospect by Baseball America after the ’24 season - might start the year at Class A Tampa.
“Amazing,’’ Lagrange said, describing his reaction about being chosen for Saturday’s start.
“We have a lot of really good pitchers in this organization,’’ Lagrange said via interpreter. “So, when I got the news, I felt incredible.
“(This was) a big opportunity for me. It meant a lot…to prove to myself that I’m a good pitcher and I can throw strikes.’’
Yeah, this was a little different than Jones’ experience in the inaugural Spring Breakout game.
After belting two home runs in a three-hit game against the Toronto Blue Jays last year, Jones was drilled by pitches to his lower half by two O’s pitchers in his first two plate appearances.
Chasing a windblown fly ball in the fourth to left-center – it was really gusting to left all night – Vance Honeycutt wound up with an inside-the-park home run.
Jones got even in the seventh, when his towering routine fly ball to left became a double – causing left fielder Thomas Sosa to twist and turn in the wind.
Jones also lost a friendly dinner wager with his old college teammate at Vanderbilt, Orioles’ outfield prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr., who hasn’t picked his restaurant of choice yet.
“We’ll figure that out another time,’’ said Jones. “But I’m in his debt now.’’
Bradfield Jr. showed off his impressive speed in Saturday’s first inning, and “I think it’s a well-known fact that Enrique Bradfield can run. I was just kind of upset that they were letting him run,’’ Jones said with a laugh.
Baltimore’s No. 17-rated prospect, Bradfield Jr. led off with a two-strike single, advanced to third on Lagrange’s errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop, directly to catcher Rafael Flores.
Following Lagrange to the mound, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Hess agreed that it felt like his Yankees’ pro debut.
Hess said it “was super cool’’ to pitch against an opponent for the first time since becoming the Yankees’ first round pick last season out of the University Alabama, before 6,680 fans.
In two innings, Hess yielded one run on two hits – including a hard comebacker off the back of his calf – with one walk and three strikeouts.
That lone walk came after Hess had been ahead 0-2 in the count, “something I hate,’’ Hess said.
“For me, the big part of it is to win ballgames,’’ Hess said of his goals in 2025. “Sometimes, that can get overlooked through the developmental system’’ and he’s not targeting anything “in terms of getting to one level or the next.’’
Asked which of his pitching teammates stood out to him, Lagrange mentioned Bryce Cunningham, the Yankees’ second-round draft pick last year out of – you guessed it, Vanderbilt.
“The velo, control, fastball, slider – he’s nasty,’’ Lagrange said of the right-hander.
Following a scoreless seventh inning by Eric Reyzelman, who has already impressed the organization in big-league camp and might be a Yankees’ option this season, Cunningham threw a quick, scoreless eighth inning, hitting 98-mph with his fastball.
In the ninth, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Cunningham gave up a game-tying RBI triple to Austin Overn and a two-out, game-winning single by Leandro Arias.
Baseball America ranked Cunningham, 22, as the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect after the 2024 season.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What we learned about Yankees' top prospects in MLB Spring Breakout game
Continue reading...
“It’s awesome when I get to see my former college teammates, especially now in professional baseball,’’ said the lefty slugger, after the Orioles’ walk-off, 5-4 win at Ed Smith Stadium.
There were five Vandy players represented Saturday, including Yankees’ right-handers Bryce Cunningham – “a typical SEC competitor…he’s going to come after you’’ - and Greysen Carter - “one of the strongest people I’ve ever seen in my life in the weight room,’’ per Jones’ scouting report.
A few takeaways from the Yankees’ prospects side on a warm, windy evening:
Yankees' Carlos Lagrange dials up 100-mph fastballs
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A lanky 6-foot-7, 195-pound right-hander, Lagrange brings some serious heat.
On more than one occasion during his three-inning start, Lagrange dialed up 100-mph fastballs – including back-to-back heaters to strike out Jud Fabian, Baltimore’s No. 23-ranked prospect.
“I throw this velo always,’’ said an unsurprised Lagrange, who even touched 101-mph according to the stadium scoreboard.
MLB Pipeline ranks Lagrange, 21, at No. 19 in the Yanks’ system, and he might have graded higher if not for back problems and command issues that derailed his 2024 season.
Physically, “this year I feel really good,’’ said Lagrange, terming his back injury as “minor.’’
An international free agent (Dominican Republic) signed for just $10,000 in 2022, Lagrange – named the Yanks’ No. 9 prospect by Baseball America after the ’24 season - might start the year at Class A Tampa.
“Amazing,’’ Lagrange said, describing his reaction about being chosen for Saturday’s start.
“We have a lot of really good pitchers in this organization,’’ Lagrange said via interpreter. “So, when I got the news, I felt incredible.
“(This was) a big opportunity for me. It meant a lot…to prove to myself that I’m a good pitcher and I can throw strikes.’’
Spencer Jones and the Vanderbilt connection
You must be registered for see images
Yeah, this was a little different than Jones’ experience in the inaugural Spring Breakout game.
After belting two home runs in a three-hit game against the Toronto Blue Jays last year, Jones was drilled by pitches to his lower half by two O’s pitchers in his first two plate appearances.
Chasing a windblown fly ball in the fourth to left-center – it was really gusting to left all night – Vance Honeycutt wound up with an inside-the-park home run.
Jones got even in the seventh, when his towering routine fly ball to left became a double – causing left fielder Thomas Sosa to twist and turn in the wind.
Jones also lost a friendly dinner wager with his old college teammate at Vanderbilt, Orioles’ outfield prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr., who hasn’t picked his restaurant of choice yet.
“We’ll figure that out another time,’’ said Jones. “But I’m in his debt now.’’
Bradfield Jr. showed off his impressive speed in Saturday’s first inning, and “I think it’s a well-known fact that Enrique Bradfield can run. I was just kind of upset that they were letting him run,’’ Jones said with a laugh.
Baltimore’s No. 17-rated prospect, Bradfield Jr. led off with a two-strike single, advanced to third on Lagrange’s errant pickoff throw and scored on a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop, directly to catcher Rafael Flores.
Ben Hess makes his Yankees' pro debut
Following Lagrange to the mound, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Hess agreed that it felt like his Yankees’ pro debut.
Hess said it “was super cool’’ to pitch against an opponent for the first time since becoming the Yankees’ first round pick last season out of the University Alabama, before 6,680 fans.
In two innings, Hess yielded one run on two hits – including a hard comebacker off the back of his calf – with one walk and three strikeouts.
That lone walk came after Hess had been ahead 0-2 in the count, “something I hate,’’ Hess said.
“For me, the big part of it is to win ballgames,’’ Hess said of his goals in 2025. “Sometimes, that can get overlooked through the developmental system’’ and he’s not targeting anything “in terms of getting to one level or the next.’’
Yankees' prospect Bryce Cunningham has 'nasty' stuff
Asked which of his pitching teammates stood out to him, Lagrange mentioned Bryce Cunningham, the Yankees’ second-round draft pick last year out of – you guessed it, Vanderbilt.
“The velo, control, fastball, slider – he’s nasty,’’ Lagrange said of the right-hander.
Following a scoreless seventh inning by Eric Reyzelman, who has already impressed the organization in big-league camp and might be a Yankees’ option this season, Cunningham threw a quick, scoreless eighth inning, hitting 98-mph with his fastball.
In the ninth, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Cunningham gave up a game-tying RBI triple to Austin Overn and a two-out, game-winning single by Leandro Arias.
Baseball America ranked Cunningham, 22, as the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect after the 2024 season.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What we learned about Yankees' top prospects in MLB Spring Breakout game
Continue reading...
