Gerrit Cole Praises Rising Star Carlos Lagrange’s Impressive Spring Performance

As spring training heats up, Carlos Lagrange is rapidly making a name for himself, impressing even the most seasoned veterans like Gerrit Cole. In a live batting practice session on Friday, the young pitcher showcased his potential by hitting triple digits on the radar gun multiple times, leaving the Cy Young winner in awe. “I’ve hit 101 in my career probably less than 10 times, and I’ve seen him do it every single time,” Cole remarked, highlighting Lagrange’s remarkable talent.

With spring training well underway, the focus now shifts to whether Lagrange can build on this momentum and refine his command. Cole noted that Lagrange’s control has already exceeded expectations this spring, raising hopes that he could develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Yankees.

In other Yankees news, manager Aaron Boone addressed the potential impact of automated ball-strike systems (ABS) on the game. Despite speculation that ABS might reduce manager ejections for arguing calls, Boone remains skeptical. “I’m inclined to believe him; he knows what he’s talking about,” said Jayson Stark, noting that Boone has led the league in ejections for five consecutive years. While ABS may help with some calls against players like Aaron Judge, Boone will still find ways to express his frustration with the umpires.

In a lighter note, FanGraphs has been spotlighting players to root for in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), with familiar names making the list. Aaron Judge stands out, albeit for his less-than-stellar speech to Team USA, which has been a topic of playful critique. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been highlighted as Team Great Britain’s standout player, while Dante Bichette Jr. makes an appearance in the Team Brazil writeup, reminiscing about his past with the Yankees.

Meanwhile, Oswaldo Cabrera made his long-awaited return to the field against the Rays after a nine-month recovery from a serious injury. In his first game back, Cabrera drew a walk in his only plate appearance and made several plays at shortstop before being replaced by George Lombard Jr. in the fourth inning. Reflecting on his journey, Cabrera expressed his joy: “Having nine months out of the field, I feel so happy about it. I’m feeling so good right now.” The Yankees community shares in Cabrera’s happiness as he looks forward to a promising season ahead.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.