Gerrit Cole's comments on Carlos Lagrange take Yankees hype to new level

As spring training kicked off, it seemed like the Carlos Lagrange hype train was full-steam ahead. Little did we know, the New York Yankees' top pitching prospect was just getting started.

It's one thing to hear about a starting pitcher regularly topping 100 miles per hour, but it's another thing to consistently see it. That's exactly what's happened so far over Lagrange's first 5 2/3 spring innings. It's impressed a lot of people, including Gerrit Cole.

There was a point in time when Cole was the best pitcher in the world. The 2011 first overall pick has two ERA titles, six All-Star nods, and the 2023 AL Cy Young on his resume. He came of age in Pittsburgh, studied under the best pitcher of the last 20 years in Justin Verlander, and has reached incredible heights on his own. You'd think it would take a lot to impress him. Apparently, Lagrange clears that lofty bar, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Gerrit Cole can't believe what he's seeing from Yankees top prospect Carlos Lagrange

Lagrange has brought the heat and then some, leveraging his high-octane heat to rack up strikeout after strikeout, touching 102 miles per hour several times throughout the spring.

Cole got to see Lagrange's gas up close and personal and couldn't stop lavishing the 22-year-old with praise. “It’s like, silly. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cole said. “It’s wild. I’m just blown away by the velocity every time.”

Keep in mind, from 2021-2022, Cole's average fastball velocity was 97.8 miles per hour. This isn't some soft-tossing crafty veteran we're talking about; this is an elite ace with plenty of mustard of his own.

“He’s young. OK, I get that,” Cole said. “It’s his first big league camp. I get that. [Manager Aaron] Boone is there and the big guys are in the box. I know he’s been going for a while and he’s in good shape. All these things add up to supporting it, and OK, I can see how this guy throws really hard.

“All these factors are contributing to him still throwing hard, but it’s amazing. It doesn’t look like he’s trying. It looks relatively easy, for the amount of freaking 101s I’ve seen in a row. I’ve hit 101 in my career probably less than 10 times, and I’ve seen him do it every single time. And a lot of times, nobody’s here.”

Lagrange insists it isn't as easy as his effortless delivery makes it appear, but the fact of the matter remains, he's got flamethrowers looking up to him in awe as he uncorks velo that isn't just uncommon for starting pitchers — it's rare overall. Cole said he's hit 101 maybe 10 times in his career; Lagrange did it seven times against the Twins in his last outing.

The velocity is breathtaking for sure, but that's not all the six-foot-seven right-hander has to offer. His frisbee-like sweeper has frozen hitters or left them flailing. His cutter/bullet-slider has confounded batters. His changeup, which at 93 miles per hour on average in his last outing, is the same speed as some starters' fastballs, but falls off the table. So while there's the temptation to put him in the bullpen and watch the fireworks, the Yankees want him working as a starter for as long as possible.

The reason is clear. We're not talking about a guy who could eventually be a serviceable starter one day. No, we're talking about a potentially dominant ace in the making. Just take it from someone who knows a lot about what being a dominant ace entails in Gerrit Cole.