
Renegades Game Notes
April 30, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release
Hudson Valley Renegades (12-8) at Wilmington Blue Rocks (13-8)
RHP Baron Stuart (0-1, 4.82 ERA) vs. RHP Bryan Caceres (0-0, 5.91 ERA)
| Game 21 | Road Game 9 | Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium | Wilmington, Del. | First Pitch 6:35 p.m. |
HOME COOKING: Hudson Valley finished up a 12-game homestand on Sunday, tied for the team's longest stint at Heritage Financial Park in 2024. The Gades' went 7-5 at home during this period, winning 4 of 6 vs. Aberdeen and splitting a six-game series with Bowling Green. Starters Sebastian Keane and Cam Schlittler highlighted an excellent performance from the pitching staff. The duo combined to allow just 3 earned runs on 6 hits in 12 innings vs. Bowling Green, while striking out 17 batters. Through three starts, Renegades starter Brian Hendry is also yet to allow an earned run through three starts and 11 innings pitched.
SAL NORTH SHOWDOWN: The Renegades begin a 12-game road trip against the Blue Rocks, playing a six-game series in Delaware this weekend. Wilmington, at 13-8, leads the SAL North Division by half a game over Hudson Valley and Greensboro. This series could go a long way to determining the first-half division title. The Blue Rocks' 8-1 home record is the best in the SAL, while the Renegades' road win percentage is the best in the SAL, setting up a very intriguing matchup.
SHUT 'EM DOWN: Through their first 20 games of the season, the Renegades have recorded four shutouts, tied for the second most in Minor League Baseball. The Renegades are joined by six other teams with four shutouts, while Buffalo (TOR, AAA) leads MiLB with five.
THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: The Renegades bullpen collectively sports a 1.89 ERA (20 ER/95 IP) this season, the second-best in MiLB, trailing only Rocket City (1.85 -- LAA, AA).
FREE RUNS: Renegades opponents have issued the team an astounding eight bases-loaded walks this season, which ranks tied-5th in MiLB, and 1st in High-A. Sugar Land (HOU, AAA) has already drawn 11 bases-loaded walks this year, and among non-AAA teams, only Bowie (BAL, AA) has as many as eight bases on balls to force in runs.
THIRTY, FLIRTY & THRIVING: The Hudson Valley Renegades are celebrating their 30th anniversary season throughout 2024. Now in their fourth season as a full-season club and affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Renegades will pay tribute to the greatest players and moments in franchise history throughout the season. Since the team's inaugural 1994 season, 131 Renegades have gone on to play in Major League Baseball, with catcher Kevin Brown being the club's first alumni to reach MLB on Sept. 12, 1996. Hudson Valley has been affiliated with three MLB clubs, the Texas Rangers (1994-96), Tampa Bay Rays (96-19) and Yankees (20-Present). They won the New York-Penn League Nader Cup Championship three times: 1999, 2012, and 2017. Other notable former Renegades include 2008 AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria, 2009 AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson, 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton, and Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.
OVER A DECADE OF SUCCESS: With a 70-62 (.530) record in 2023, the Hudson Valley Renegades recorded their 11th consecutive season with an above .500 record (since 2012). During that span, the team has won two league championships (2012 and 2017), seven playoff appearances (12, 14, 16-19, 23), and five league championship series appearances (12, 16-18, 23). Including their 9-6 start to 2024, among teams in affiliated baseball with at least 800 games, the Renegades have the best winning percentage (.576) in MiLB.
LIMITING HITS & RUNS: Hudson Valley pitchers have been on a roll early on, and have allowed only 108 hits through 20 games. The Renegades have allowed the fewest hits in MiLB, one less than Spokane (COL, A+). Incredibly, Amarillo (AZ, AA) has allowed a staggering 211 hits through 21 games, most among all non-AAA teams. The team's 2.46 ERA is the best mark in High-A, and third-best among all MiLB teams.
HUDSON VALLEY TO THE SHOW: Already in 2024, the Renegades have seen four former players make their MLB debuts. Mitch Spence (2021) made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics, Matt Sauer (2021-23) debuted with the Kansas City Royals, and Oliver Dunn (2021) broke in with the Milwaukee Brewers all over MLB Opening Weekend. On Monday night, Josh Maciejewski (2021, 23) made his big league debut for the Yankees against the Marlins. The Renegades have now had 131 former players reach the major leagues, including 18 from the Yankees era and 16 from the star-studded 2021 team.
FINISHING STRONG: Over his last 14 games of the 2023 regular season, Jesús Rodríguez went 19-for-53 (.358) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, 9 RBIs, and seven runs scored. Rodríguez has carried that success into the 2024 season by reaching base safely in thirteen of his first seventeen games. He is currently batting .304 with a home run and 7 RBIs with a .788 OPS on the young season, and already has eight multi-hit games, the most on the team. His 21 hits in 2024 rank 4th in the South Atlantic League in that category.
VZ POP: Omar Martínez has quickly built on his strong season in the Florida State League with Single-A Tampa in 2023. The Renegades backstop is slashing .262/.392/.459 with a .851 OPS through 17 games. Martinez has reached base safely in all but three of his appearances, and has at least one hit in 12 of 17 games. On April 20th vs Aberdeen, Martinez launched a go-ahead solo home run to right in the bottom of the eighth to seal a 4-3 Hudson Valley victory. The long ball was the 22-year-old's third of the season, the most of any Renegades player. Last year, Martinez was third among Florida State League hitters with 18 home runs, and his 35 extra-base hits ranked sixth.
OUT ON STRIKES: On Friday night vs. Bowling Green, Sebastian Keane had the best start of his career. The right-hander tossed six innings of one-run ball, allowing just four hits and striking out 10 Hot Rods batters. Keane set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts in his start, after previously setting his career high in strikeouts with seven vs. the Rome Emperors. It was also the first time that a Renegades pitcher had struck out 10 batters since Drew Thorpe recorded 10 punchouts on August 4th, 2023 vs. the Wilmington Blue Rocks. During the six games of the Hot Rods series, Renegades pitching had 70 strikeouts, and had 9+ strikeouts five times.
MIDWEST REINFORCEMENTS: Jace Avina debuted with the Renegades on April 17 after being traded to New York for Jake Bauers in November from Milwaukee. The 20-year-old has quickly made a big impact for the Renegades, off to a 14-for-33 (.303) start with five walks and four runs scored and a .863 OPS in ten games. On Wednesday afternoon vs. Bowling Green, the Sparks, Nevada native had a 3-for-4 outing, featuring his first home run of the season and a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning. Avina has also looked excellent defensively in the outfield, throwing out Ryan Higgins at third on a beautiful outfield assist from center vs. Aberdeen. The Spanish Springs High School graduate was the Arizona Complex League MVP in 2022.
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH: The Hudson Valley Renegades and the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association have partnered to present Bhutan Night on August 20 at Heritage Financial Park. The team is currently fundraising to bring over several Bhutanese baseball players for baseball and cultural enrichment tour of the Hudson Valley and New York. More details on the night can be found at www.hvrenegades.com/bhutan.
NON-SACRIFICIAL LAMBS: The Hudson Valley Renegades have not laid down a sacrifice bunt in either of the last two seasons, one of four teams in MiLB to not register a sacrifice bunt in that time (also Asheville, Fayetteville and Tampa). The last time the Renegades successfully executed a sacrifice bunt was Eduardo Torrealba on 8/31/2021 at Greensboro, a span of 296 regular season games.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 30, 2024
- Coffey, Campbell, Castro, All Homer for Drive En Route to 12-7 Victory in Asheville - Greenville Drive
- 'Clones Open Series with a Bang, Defeat Aberdeen 9-2 Behind Seven Run First Inning - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Murphy's Near-Perfect Start Earns Pitcher of the Week Honors - Rome Emperors
- Five Home Runs Lift the Grasshoppers over the Dash, 9-2 - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Blue Rocks Return Home on the Wrong Foot, Losing 12-2 to Hudson Valley - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Renegades Pull away from Wilmington - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Cook Dazzles over 6.1 Frames in Hot Rods 4-1 Win - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Johnson Hits Tape-Measure Homer in 12-7 Defeat - Asheville Tourists
- Cabrera Sharp, But Claws Fall 4-1 in Series Opener - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Renegades Game Notes - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Joey Chestnut Bobblehead Day on July 3rd as We Celebrate the King of Coney Island - Brooklyn Cyclones
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