After getting more than they expected from Will Warren and Cam Schlittler in 2025, the Yankees could once again lean on some young pitchers with limited experience in 2026.
Last week, Brian Cashman made multiple references to some “young pups” who are “hungry and thirsty” for opportunities this spring. The general manager specifically mentioned top starting pitching prospects Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange. Both are just 22 years old.
“They’re obviously pushing their way up the ladder,” Cashman said with the Yankees’ rostering more than five capable starters but also dealing with some health and workload concerns.
Cashman also noted recent trade acquisition Angel Chivilli, 23, and Rule 5 Draft pick Cade Winquest, 25. Both could factor into a Bombers bullpen that is short on established relievers.
“I think it’s a work in progress with a lot of quality choices,” Cashman said of a pen that looks like a serious question mark. “Some might be emerging, talented players from our system. Some might be more imports like [Chivilli]. Could be. I’d just say, ‘stay tuned.’”
For now, let’s take a closer look at some of the young pitchers Cashman discussed.
ELMER RODRÍGUEZ
Rodríguez is the closest of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects after starting last season at High-A, forcing his way to Double-A, and earning a brief promotion to Triple-A for his last start of the year. The righty ended the campaign with a 2.58 ERA and a 29% strikeout rate over 150 innings.
Ideally, the Yankees would like to see Rodríguez get some more minor league seasoning and stay on a starter’s routine — his participation in the World Baseball Classic was contingent on him being in Puerto Rico’s rotation — but another spring training injury could pave the way for an audition with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt starting the year on the IL.
“Elmer’s got a large pitch package and can work his way around that arsenal early in games and then kind of refine it as he gets deeper into games and have a little more of a targeted plan,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said earlier this offseason. “I think it’s just trying to figure out what the best mix is for him, being efficient in the zone, and generating some weak contact. Obviously, he generated quite a bit of miss during his time in High-A and Double-A, but Double-A was a smaller sample.”
CARLOS LAGRANGE
Another right-hander, Lagrange split his time between High-A and Double-A in 2025. He was actually better at the higher level, recording a 3.22 ERA over 78.1 innings.
He ended the season with 3.53 ERA and a 33.4% strikeout rate over 120 frames.
Armed with a fastball that can soar above 100 mph, the 6-7, 248-pound fireballer can be a bit erratic and may be best suited for the bullpen long-term. That could actually expedite his big league debut in the short-term with the Yankees less than settled in that department.
Either way, Lagrange seems poised to impact the Yankees sooner than later.
“Those guys are on our radar,” Blake said of Lagrange and Rodríguez. “I feel like those guys are probably a little bit further ahead than Cam was at this point last year, so you definitely can’t rule out that those guys could help us. Obviously, they have some room to go and will continue to develop.”
Carlos Lagrange was packing some SERIOUS HEAT in 2025, hitting 103 MPH in a game 😳🔥
Will the #Yankees no. 4 prospect on Baseball America make his MLB debut in 2026? pic.twitter.com/h3giSaUdbc
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) January 29, 2026
ANGEL CHIVILLI
Some Yankees fans may have scratched their heads when the club acquired Chivilli from the Rockies last week, as he had a 7.06 ERA last season. But the Yankees are looking beyond his surface numbers, which were partially posted in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field.
“He’s a 23-year-old power arm that’s got a tool package that’s pretty exciting,” Cashman said. “He’s got some flexibility because there’s an option remaining in his profile. So he’s got a year of service, some experience. He’s got a tremendous fastball, changeup and a slider. I think there’s a lot to work with there, so we look forward to putting him into our pitching program and seeing where that takes him.”
Among the tools in question, Chivilli has a fastball that averaged 97.1 mph last season, a slider with a Stuff+ grade of 110, and a changeup that produced a 42.6 Whiff%. Chivilli also had a 49.8 groundball percentage last year.
CADE WINQUEST
While the Yankees can demote Chivilli if he struggles, Winquest has to remain on the Yankees’ 26-man roster all season or be placed on waivers as a Rule 5 pick. He is not a shoo-in for the bullpen, but the Yankees’ interest in Winquest dates back to his college days, as they almost selected him in the 2022 Amateur Draft.
Another hard thrower with a 12-6 curveball, Winquest said earlier this offseason that he and Blake discussed the possibility of adding a sinker.
“I’m ready to get to work,” Winquest said. “This is a huge opportunity. I’m going to take advantage of it. That’s my goal. I’m going to go in there, put my head down, and work like I always do.
“I’m going to compete.”
BEN HESS
While Cashman didn’t make any specific or obvious mentions of Hess last week, Blake recently told the YES Network that the 2024 first-round pick, like Rodríguez and Lagrange, is further ahead than where the Yankees thought Schlittler was at this point last year.
“All three of those guys have taken some nice steps in their development,” Blake continued. “They’re already in Tampa. They’re starting to ramp up, so we’re getting our eyes on them down there.”
Hess, 23, is a bit behind Rodríguez and Lagrange in terms of experience, as he’s only logged 36.2 innings at Double-A so far. The Alabama product had a 2.70 ERA over seven starts for Somerset last season, and he totaled a 3.22 ERA and a 33% strikeout rate over 22 starts and 103.1 innings after beginning his season at High-A.
