The New York Yankees have an intriguing arm in development, with pitching prospect Henry Lalane holding heavy weight on his projections and analytics.
The Yankees farm system has been fairly impressive over the years. Various names have emerged to become truly reliable players in the current big-league lineup. Homegrown talent is one thing the Yankees pride themselves on.
From Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Volpe to Clayton Beeter, Luis Gil, and now Ben Rice, the prospect development in the New York farm system is noticeable. Looking forward to the future, there is a stockpile of talented individuals to come. A big lefty originally from the Bronx is one of them.
Henry Lalane with a nasty K, throws a clean inning!#RepBx #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/nA8pNNOLlU
— YankeesFarm (@YankeesFarm) March 16, 2024
Yankees Prospect Henry Lalane: Background and Notes
The international free agent market is a gold mine for Major League Baseball. Clubs find some of the best players in the world, outside of the amateur scope. MLB’s international signing period is always a shopping spree for valuable prospects.
Yankees southpaw pitching prospect Henry Lalane is a U.S. citizen by birth and an international prospect by move. He is a home-bred player, originally born in the Bronx, New York. Lalane moved from the Bronx to his parent’s home country, the Dominican Republic.
Both of his parents were athletes. His mom played volleyball for the Dominican Republic national team and his dad played Division I college basketball before playing for the Dominican national team. Lalane played and developed his baseball skills in one of the national hubs for this game.
At 14 years old he took the mound and never looked back. He focused on his craft and utilized his dual citizenship to compete for Perfect Game in Gunter, Texas. In 2021, the Yankees noticed his talents and offered him a contract. Lalane signed for $350,000.
Scouting Report and Analysis
The first noticeable thing anyone with a half-decent vision can see is the physical makeup of the pitching prospect Henry Lalane. His vertically rich figure has him boldly standing out on the bump. Standing 6’7” at 211 lbs, Lalane towers down the hill with a slim-build shape.
He has long limbs and a wild stride towards the dish. His reach and drive down the hill cut distance off the 60 feet to the plate, pumping heat and popping the catcher’s glove. Lalane’s windup and delivery are consistent and repeated. His arm stays low on separation, which is semi-concerning, but he turns it over well with a whipping arm action.
The ball flies out of his hand well and he maintains good control of most of his pitch options. His fastball is well-commanded and it brings run and heat. The heater ranges between 93-94 mph, topping out at 97 mph. It has some good run, rides the zone, and slips arm side to paint corners.
Of the two off-speed options, naturally, his changeup is more dependable. The change floats low in the zone and runs downward in the low 80s range. He locates this pitch well and it lives below the knees.
The slider is his last option but has the potential to be his put-away pitch. What needs to improve is the velocity on the slider, better horizontal run, and better command. His ability to locate this pitch is an issue.
We have been talking A LOT about this @Yankees pitching prospect …
One BOLD prediction for the 2024 season:
Henry Lalane Reaches Triple-A And Becomes A Top 10 Prospecthttps://t.co/CireqLcmYn pic.twitter.com/v3KphuMRra
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 9, 2024
Lalane’s key to success is count control. So far in three seasons, he’s struck out 125 hitters, only walking 43 of 474 batters faced. He has a 3.56 ERA in 111 1/3 innings of work.
Projection and Comparison of Prospect Henry Lalane
Various comparisons draw Lalane to Randy Johnson. This makes total sense with regard to physical relations, makeup, and delivery from the left side. Their pitch arsenals are simple, similar, and very effective.
Another comparison based on makeup and pitch-like tendencies is Aroldis Chapman. Lalane projects to be a starter as it stands, but definitely could be considered for late relief. His velocity will naturally increase and his pitch repertoire will develop.
He’s estimated to reach the major league level in 2027. However, he’s expected to climb the ranks quickly. Currently, he sits on the injured list.
Photo Credit: © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
