Yankees' 22-year-old fireball rookie receives a harsh lesson, gets crushed by Cubs' MLB lineup in spring training exhibition game.

The New York Yankees seldom visit Arizona for spring training exhibition games. In today's away game against the Chicago Cubs, they assigned fireball rookie pitcher Carlos Lagrange as the starter. Against a lineup that essentially mirrored the Cubs' Opening Day starting batting order, the 22-year-old Lagrange endured a harsh lesson, surrendering 8 runs in fewer than 3 innings before being pulled. The Yankees ended up with a devastating 6-15 loss.

Although Lagrange had already been demoted to the minors by the Yankees, the team gave him another opportunity, allowing him to fly on a charter from Tampa to Arizona to start the first game of a two-game away series against the Cubs. He had performed impressively in Grapefruit League exhibition games this year, but this time, facing the strongest lineup encountered during spring training, Lagrange was exposed. His control was less sharp than before; over 2.2 innings, he was hit with 9 base hits, and all 8 runs he allowed were earned, causing his ERA to skyrocket from 0.66 to 4.96.

After the game, Lagrange stated through a translator: "It was tough, but it helps me because I faced MLB hitters. The difference between MLB hitters and minor league hitters is significant; you realize they are very adept at reading pitches and attacking in different count situations. When you fall behind in the count, facing these hitters becomes even more difficult."

After conceding a run in the first inning due to a lucky base hit, Lagrange responded strongly in the second inning, striking out three batters consecutively. He used a changeup to retire Dansby Swanson and employed a slider to strike out Matt Shaw and Dylan Carlson, making the opponents look quite awkward with their swings. This once again demonstrated that Lagrange doesn't just possess triple-digit fastballs; his breaking pitches are the key to his potential as a starting rotation candidate.

According to sources, although Lagrange will begin the season in Triple-A, the Yankees will not assign him as a relief pitcher but will develop him as a starter, to avoid repeating the tragedy of fireballer Joba Chamberlain—who shone in the bullpen but performed mediocrely after transitioning to a starting role.