RADIO
Is Carlos Lagrange Still Worth Stashing After Move to Bullpen?
New York Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange was effective in his latest start out of the bullpen for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing one earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out three batters in 2 2/3 innings pitched. The hard-throwing Dominican recently transitioned to a reliever, with the expectation that the big league club could leverage him in that same role. As a starter, the Yankees' fourth-ranked prospect held a 4.41 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 17.5 percent K-BB% in 49 IP, but through two relief appearances, he's posted a 1.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 25.9 percent K-BB%, so the move appears to be working out for now. The right-hander's strikeout potential is what makes him intriguing for fantasy, but a move to middle relief has dealt a blow to his worthiness as a stash candidate. Only those managers in very deep leagues desperate for strikeouts should consider stashing him, especially since it may come at the cost of WHIP due to his control issues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Carlos Lagrange Dominant in Move to Bullpen, Will he Compete for Early Promotion?
New York Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange was recently moved to the bullpen at Triple-A to have a much clearer path to reach the Bronx in the near future. This past week, Lagrange made his first appearance out of the Triple-A bullpen and did not disappoint. Facing Syracuse, the hard-throwing right-hander tossed four one-hit innings with seven punchouts and two walks. He opened the season at Triple-A but was deployed as a starter and did not enjoy much sustained success. Pitching out of the starting rotation, the 23-year-old held a 4.41 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP but continued to flash elite strikeout potential, totaling 63 over 49 innings of work. While Lagrange's fantasy upside will be limited in a setup or long relief role on the MLB roster, his elite strikeout potential makes him worth a look as a stash candidate, especially in deeper 12+ team formats.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Carlos Lagrange Shifting to Bullpen, Being Fast-Tracked for MLB Debut?
New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange is being shifted to the bullpen at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to YES Network's Jack Curry. The Yankees always believed that Lagrange could boost their bullpen in the big leagues this year, so it's a major step in that direction. The 23-year-old, who is considered the team's No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, can touch 103 mph with his fastball and could be a real asset for the Yankees' bullpen at some point in 2026. In his fifth season in the minors this year, Lagrange has gone 0-3 with a 4.41 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 25 walks in 49 innings pitched across 11 starts. Manager Aaron Boone said that it will be at least several weeks before Lagrange is considered for his first major-league call-up. While his strikeout upside is intriguing for fantasy managers in deeper leagues, he might not be very valuable in single-year formats in 2026 if he's only pitching out of the bullpen in the Bronx. Long-term, it's a bit unclear what the Yankees' plan is for Lagrange regarding his role as a starter or reliever.
Source: YES Network - Jack Curry
Source: YES Network - Jack Curry
David Bednar Remains a Steady Option for Saves
New York Yankees closer David Bednar continues to rack up saves while handling leverage opportunities out of the bullpen. He did experience a minor blip on Sunday when he surrendered one run over 0.2 innings and was hit with the loss, but for the most part, he has been productive. He's now 1-3 with a 2.47 FIP, 11.12 K/9, 2.65 BB/9, a 56.3% ground ball rate, and 10 saves over 17 games (17.0 innings). No other Yankees pitcher has earned a save this season, so Bednar's job remains safe despite an occasional subpar outing. Given that the Yankees have the second-best record in the American League, save situations should continue to present themselves to Bednar quite often. He remains a steady option for saves, and he ranks as the #9 reliever in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cade Smith has Become a High-End Closing Option in Fantasy
Cleveland Guardians right-handed reliever Cade Smith hasn't been perfect, but he has quickly become one of the best options for saves in fantasy baseball in 2026. The 27-year-old Canadian pitcher is currently tied for the American League lead in saves with 11 and has gone 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA (1.86 FIP), 1.25 WHIP, and 24:4 K:BB in 18 1/3 innings pitched for the Guards. He gave up a run in his last appearance on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, but Smith still managed to hold on for the save in his inning of work, and he's been successful in each of his last eight save opportunities, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out 13 in 9 1/3 innings. Under the hood, Smith is in the 93rd percentile in strikeout rate, the 91st percentile in walk rate, and the 92nd percentile in whiff rate while posting an 11.8 K/9 in his third year in the big leagues. There's a reason why he's rostered in 98% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
