Breakout Bombers: Justin Lange
6-foot-4 220-pounds Right-handed starting pitcher 21-years-old Draft: 1 st round (34 th pick) in the 2020 draft When the Yankees were looking to trade Luke Voit, I was surprised to hear they got a former first round pick in return. Sure, his numbers were bad in his first professional season, but Justin Lange had big stuff and a great arm. The Padres were ready to move on, however, and it may turn out to be to the Yankees’ benefit. In his first year as a pro, he had a 6.95 ERA and 29 K : 15 BB in 22 innings pitched. He had a .217 average against. That offseason he was traded to the Yankees, and he had a similar season with a better strikeout rate. He finished 2022 with a 6.44 ERA and 51 K : 30 BB in 36.1 innings pitched. He again had an impressive .215 average against. While these are not the numbers you want to see from a first-round pick, they portray a pitcher who simply needs to do one thing to be successful. Throw strikes. When in the z