The Yankees are headed to the World Series for the first time since 2009, and the bullpen is a big reason why. Luke Weaver¡¯s emergence as closer has been one of the stories of the postseason. Chase Holmes has settled in nicely in a new role and 34-year-old Tim Hill has become the go-to lefty option. Even Tommy Kahnle¡¯s changeup-only outings sparked this run.

The relievers have been good enough to make New York fans wonder what future arms will ensure that there isn¡¯t another 15-year wait for the Fall Classic.

Enter Carlos Lagrange.

The Yankees¡¯ No. 20 prospect has the size (6-foot-7) and stuff (plus-plus fastball, above-average slider) to carve out a role for himself in the Bronx, and now with Salt River in the Arizona Fall League, he¡¯s out to prove he¡¯s healthy enough to fulfill his promising potential.

¡°I just want to be on the big league team,¡± Lagrange said via translator and fellow Yankees Fall Leaguer Antonio Gomez. ¡°I would like to be a starter, but whatever the team needs from me, I will be there for it.¡±

New York signed the Dominican Republic native for only $10,000 when he was 18 in February 2022. Lagrange had little issue setting down batters in the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues, striking out 106 in 78 1/3 innings between those stops in 2022 and 2023. That set up the 21-year-old right-hander to make an anticipated full-season debut this summer, until lower-back inflammation sidelined him out of the gate in April. He returned to a Minor League mound back in the FCL on June 22, made five appearances there and finally made that non-complex bow for Single-A Tampa on Aug. 10.

Lagrange¡¯s Florida State League results were mixed. He struck out 19 batters in five appearances (14 1/3 innings) but walked 13 over the same span. His trademark velocity was certainly there, however. Lagrange touched 99.8 mph on Sept. 7 in front of Statcast with Tampa -- a max velocity he¡¯s matched to the decimal point in the AFL -- and averaged 97.1 mph on the 136 heaters he threw in the FSL. The pitch came with 14 inches of arm-side movement from a vertical release point of 6.3 feet on average. In other words, it comes out of a higher spot than is typical and runs in on righties and away from lefties.

As if the velo wasn¡¯t enough.

A 70-grade fireball alone isn¡¯t going to be sufficient to get Lagrange to the Bronx, however. He¡¯ll need a mid-80s slider to be more consistent to play off the fastball and an upper-80s changeup to improve on its current 40 grade to round out the package.

But with the heater running one way and the slider breaking the other, Lagrange has developed an east-west approach that fits his pitching style.

¡°When I first signed with the Yankees, I used to throw curveballs,¡± he said. ¡°Then the Yankees changed me to throw more sliders. Thanks to the Yankees that have helped me a lot with that pitch and helped me feel more confident with it.¡±

With the stuff in place, Lagrange needs to reestablish his health first and control second. Those might go hand in hand. The more innings he gets, the more he can find rhythm in his large frame, the more he¡¯ll find the zone. His five walks in 3 1/3 innings for Salt River prove it¡¯s still a work in progress, but if that remains the case in 2025, maybe it¡¯ll be time to fully explore the relief route.

A ring from the bullpen counts the same as a ring from the rotation.

¡°It¡¯s really important for me to throw hard, but ... ever since I¡¯ve been a player, I¡¯ve thrown hard,¡± Lagrange said. ¡°I¡¯m just working on throwing strikes and being consistent.¡±

Yankees hitters in the Fall League

Caleb Durbin, INF: The 2021 14th-rounder is a repeat Fall Leaguer and a notable one at that after he finished among the circuit¡¯s top five in all three slash-line categories (.353/.456/.588), hits (30), extra-base hits (13) and total bases (50) over 23 games for Mesa last year. His 21 steals (in 23 attempts) led the AFL and tied for second-most in league history. Now with Salt River, the 24-year-old infielder is coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .287/.396/.471 with 10 homers and 28 steals in 87 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Durbin is Rule 5-eligible this offseason, and he¡¯s mixed in some time in center and left field to show off potential versatility.

Antonio Gomez, C: An in-season AFL roster replacement for Rafael Flores, Gomez has real contact concerns, having struck out at least 27 percent of the time in each of his last two seasons at High-A Hudson Valley. The 22-year-old backstop can run into some power, however, and his best asset is a rocket of an arm that helped him throw out 29.2 percent of attempted baserunners in his career.

Garrett Martin, OF: Martin slugged .709 and posted a 1.170 OPS in 43 games for Austin Peay as a senior in 2023 and signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent that July. He hit .216/.326/.422 with 12 homers and 17 steals in 87 games for Hudson Valley this season but struck out in 28.0 percent of his plate appearances. After spending much of his summer in the corners, the 24-year-old has mostly gotten playing time in center field in his start to the fall.

Yankees pitchers in the Fall League

Harrison Cohen, RHP: A Long Island native, Cohen joined the Yankees as an undrafted free agent out of George Washington in August 2022 and has impressed with a 2.85 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 75 innings over two seasons since, topping out at Double-A in 2023. He¡¯ll sit 92-95 mph and show two average secondaries with his slider and changeup, both around 85-88 mph.

Jackson Fristoe, RHP: The 2022 12th-rounder out of Mississippi State has worked out of the rotation in the lowest levels of the Yankees¡¯ system but has yet to throw more than 38 innings in a complete regular season. Standing 6-foot-4, Fristoe can top out at 98 mph with his fastball, and his best secondary is an upper-80s cutter. He¡¯ll also feature a more traditional slider that checks in as a below-average offering. Control has been an early issue with five walks in 3 1/3 innings for Salt River.

Ryan Harvey, RHP: Taken one round before Fristoe in the 11th round two years ago, the UC Santa Barbara product has also struggled to stay on the mound in his first two full seasons, topping out at 45 2/3 innings in 2023. He posted a 6.03 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings for Single-A Tampa this summer and has shown a 90-94 mph fastball, mid-80s changeup and low-80s slider with some sweep in the Fall League.

Luis Pacheco, RHP: A former Phillies prospect, Pacheco had stints in the Frontier and Mexican Leagues before signing with the Yankees in June. He climbed from the Florida Complex League to Double-A Somerset during the summer, posting a 3.16 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings, and he might be the Yankees¡¯ hardest non-Lagrange thrower on Salt River, with a fastball he can run up to 98 mph. He also has an 82-84 mph slider and a subpar 87-89 mph changeup that led to massive splits issues in the Minors in 2024.