Yankees shuffle rotation to open spring training with back-to-back glimpses of future

Less than one year after flamethrower Carlos Lagrange disposed of the Baltimore Orioles in the New York Yankees' Spring Breakout game, rumor had it that he was set to face the O's again this week in a slightly different role, poised to start the Yankees' opening game of spring training action. Instead, the Yanks decided to go a slightly different path; Lagrange will get an opening weekend start, but they're giving another top pitching prospect the spotlight of the opener.

The Lagrange hype train may be careening off the rails and into the catcher's glove at 102.6 MPH, but while he's making significant noise against Aaron Judge, Elmer Rodriguez seems content to fly under the radar and keep pummeling the strike zone with his deep repertoire.

Aaron Boone's not going to let him, though. After a devilish live BP on Monday, Boone called him out as a potential 2026 asset, noting, "Big fan. He's another guy that I think has a really, really bright future as a starting pitcher."

And, looking to enforce his manager's endorsement, he'll get the ball in the Grapefruit League opener against Baltimore instead. Lagrange will throw Saturday — the coveted home game slot against the Detroit Tigers. Fans will have to travel to Sarasota to see Rodriguez take on the Orioles, but they can probably swing it. Something tells me Yankee fans were already planning to make their presence known at that one.

Yankees spring training rotation: Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange

According to MLB's schedule, Friday's opener can be streamed on the Gotham Sports App, while Saturday's Lagrange Fest will air on YES Network (as well as streaming on the app).

Lagrange might be poised to break down the MLB doors sooner, with room in the 'pen for a high-leverage reliever persisting. Rodriguez might not have the higher ceiling of the two, but he's likelier to remain a starter, with a deeper and better-commanded arsenal.

No word yet on when the Yankees' Opening Day rotation will begin to turn during spring training action, but all currently healthy MLB-ready arms seem to be all systems go. Even Cam Schlittler got back on the mound Tuesday, as promised.

It was only a half-year ago when Schlittler seemed as far away as Rodriguez and Lagrange, a tantalizing prospect who might be a viable midsummer fill-in, but nothing more. Somehow, he ended up deciding a Yankees-Red Sox playoff series with the single most dominant postseason start in the Bronx since ... well, nearly ever?

In other words, it might be worth watching both Friday and Saturday, and it was kind of the Yankees to give us such a convenient preview.