Ex-Renegades Manager Blake Butera Named Manager of Washington Nationals
SAL Hudson Valley Renegades

Ex-Renegades Manager Blake Butera Named Manager of Washington Nationals

Published on October 31, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


Wappingers Falls, N.Y. - Blake Butera, the manager Hudson Valley Renegades from 2018-19, has been named the manager of the Washington Nationals. He becomes the fifth former Renegades manager to become the manager of a Major League Baseball team and the second this week, joining Craig Albernaz who was hired by the Baltimore Orioles.

Butera, 33, becomes the youngest manager in Major League Baseball since 1972 when Frank Quilici took over the Minnesota Twins. He also becomes the fourth current MLB manager who managed and/or played for Renegades.

Butera began his coaching career with the Renegades in 2017, serving as the hitting coach under Albernaz, who managed that season. He took over as manager of the Renegades in 2018 at the age of 25, making him the youngest manager in Minor League Baseball. In two seasons, Butera led Hudson Valley to an 88-62 (.587) record and two playoff appearances. He is the fourth-winningest manager in Renegades history, and has the most wins by a 'Gades skipper serving fewer than three seasons.

He spent the 2021-22 seasons as the manager of the Charleston RiverDogs, guiding the team to back-to-back Low-A East/Carolina League Championships, before being promoted to Rays Minor League Assistant Field Coordinator in 2023. For the last two seasons Butera has served as the Rays Senior Director of Player Development. He also served as the bench coach for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Butera had a two-year Minor League playing career with the Rays, including four games with Renegades in 2016. He becomes the second-ever former Renegades player to become a Major League manager, joining Cleveland Guardians Stephen Vogt (2007).

Butera joins former Renegades managers Charlie Montoyo (1998), Edwin Rodriguez (1999), Matt Quatraro (2006-07), and Craig Albernaz (2017) as former Hudson Valley skippers to be hired to manage an MLB team. Vogt, who was with the Renegades as a player in 2007, has managed the Guardians since 2024.

The Renegades can now boast that 25% (5-of-20) of Hudson Valley managers have gone on to manage in MLB, while 13.3% (4-of-30) current MLB managers have a connection with the Renegades as either a player, a manager, or both.

Check out the Hudson Valley Renegades Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from October 31, 2025


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