Top Three Non-Roster Invitees

Three Days Until Pitchers and Catchers, Here Are My Top Three Non-Roster Invitees to Keep an Eye On

By Andrew Hefner

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Payton Henry

One of four non-rostered catchers earning an invite, Payton Henry has not seen the majors since 2022, but is one of the highest upside players currently bouncing around the minor leagues.

Henry, originally drafted by the Brewers in 2016, suffered a serious head injury after being hit by a swing in a game with the Blue Jays' AAA affiliate in 2024. He was sidelined as a result, only playing about half of the season, but spent the last season working his way back with the Phillies organization. In games across high-A and AAA, Henry hit .247 with 11 home runs and a .735 OPS in 66 games before electing free agency and being picked up by the Yankees in December. In 2023, at the height of his career, he put up an impressive .294 average and .795 OPS, but unfortunately suffered the injury less than a year later.

Henry also appeared in 20 games in the majors with the Marlins from 2021 to 2022, where he had little success, but did collect a few hits and RBIs in his time in Miami. With the Yankees catching depth being spread thin after trading players such as Rafael Flores, Augustin Ramirez, Carlos Narvaez, and more in the last couple of seasons, Henry could very well be the third catcher up in the Yankees organization.

As it stands, Austin Wells will be the opening day starter with JC Escarra as the backup, but with Ben Rice looking like the everyday first baseman, the next man up will all come down to some spring training performances.

Harrison Cohen

Harrison Cohen is one of the fastest progressing players in the entire Yankees organization, and was recently named to the Israeli WBC team, which he will be competing with in just a month. Cohen, signed as a free agent out of George Washington University in 2022, rose through the ranks almost instantaneously, finding himself in AA by the 2023 season and a staple of the AAA pitching staff in 2025.

The 26-year-old righty had a fantastic season in 2025, with a 1.76 ERA in 49 appearances between AA and AAA. He will be pitching against some of the world’s top talent, though, as the Dominican Republic and Netherlands, among others, will be in Israel’s group for the WBC this year. His performances in both the first few weeks of spring and at the tournament will be integral to where he stands with the organization this year, but don't be surprised if we see Cohen in the Bronx very soon.

Carlos Lagrange

Carlos Lagrange has been one of the most talked about pitchers in the minor leagues over the last year, and has garnered the attention of MLB Pipeline, and he now sits at the 79th best prospect in baseball. The flame-throwing righty out of the Dominican Republic took a huge step up in AA last year, twirling 104 strikeouts in just 78 innings of work.

Lagrange features a fastball with strong movement that can reach as high as 103 on a consistent basis, while mixing in mid-80-mile-per-hour sliders and cutters that can carve up batters. With his four-pitch mix, Lagrange was third in the minors in strikeouts and strikeout rate (33%) and is the number two prospect in the Yankees system. With the high velocity comes some control concerns, as a 15% walk rate in AA was a huge jump in the wrong direction compared to his previous season.

2026 Spring Training will be a key period for the 6’7” starter as he works towards a AAA callup, and eventually the majors. Although rumored to be a trade piece, it seems as though Lagrange will be sticking around, and maybe a path like Cam Schlittler’s 2025 could be in the books for Lagrange, especially with the current state of the injured Yankees pitching staff.