The Yankees sent slugger Luke Voit to the Padres for another prospect for their loaded farm system – 6-foot-4 right-hander Justin Lange. New York appears to be clearing payroll and adding prospects to set up a trade for one of Oakland’s available pitchers – Frankie Montas or Sean Manaea.
Lange ranks No. 448 on our RotoProspects Top 500 Rankings. He goes from the Padres’ No. 13 prospect to No. 22 on the Yankees’ list, ninth among pitchers.
The Padres took Lange 34th overall in the 2020 draft out of a Texas high school, seen as a raw power arm with a fastball already at 95-98 mph.
He struggled in hi first full season, making nine starts with a 6.95 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. Lange did manage 29 strikeouts in 22 innings, but walked 15. He was hindered by shoulder fatigue and sore knee, so we’ll see what he can do if he can stay healthy in 2022.
Lange is more of a lottery ticket at this point, as right-handed high school pitchers tend to be, but the Yankees will take their shot at developing him in their top-flight farm system.