THE BIRDS ARE BACK IN TOWN: The Hudson Valley Renegades welcome in the Aberdeen IronBirds for their third of four series meetings this season. The Renegades made their lone visit to Maryland earlier in May, splitting the series. After the six game set this week, the two sides won’t face each other again until the end of August.
LAST TIME OUT: The Hudson Valley Renegades used a five run third inning to close out the series with an 8-4 win on Sunday against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Grant Richardson and Marcos Cabrera each slugged home runs while Alexander Vargas tallied two hits and drove in two in the win. Drew Thorpe earned his third victory of the season after tossing 5.1 innings. The ‘Gades bullpen completed the game off with 3.1 scoreless frames.
REHAB-PALOOZA: On Tuesday, LHP Josh Maciejewski commenced a Minor League rehab assignment with the Renegades, becoming the second Minor League rehabber on the team, joining C Josh Breaux, who began his rehab on Saturday, May 27. This is the first time in the Yankees Era (2021-Present) that the Renegades have had two rehabbers on the team at the same time.
BIG WINS AND LOSSES: The Renegades have already played in an extraordinary number of lopsided games this season, with 20 of the team’s 45 games (44.4%) being decided by 5-or-more runs.
- Hudson Valley sports a 11-9 (.550) record in game decided by 5+ runs.
- The club has already played six games decided by 11-or-more runs, and has a 3-3 (.500) record in those games.
- The ‘Gades have also played nine one-run games, and are 3-6 (.333).
RICHIE RICH: Grant Richardson has started to find his groove in the month of May. Over his last two series, spanning nine games, Richardson is hitting .355/.459/.581 with a double, two home runs and 8 RBIs. Only Aaron Palensky has a higher average, OBP and SLG on the team.
DON’T RUN ON ME: Renegades catcher Antonio Gómez caught Jeremy De La Rosa on Thursday to bring his total to 17 in 23 games behind home plate this year.
- He owns the highest mark in the South Atlantic League and High-A, and good for t-3rd in MiLB.
- Gómez has thrown out 29.8% of would-be basestealers this year. The SAL average is around 21%.
- Nick Clarno (AUG, ATL) leads all of MiLB with 25 while Gómez is t-3rd.
- In the month of May, Gómez has caught 36% of attempted runners (13-for-36).
- After catching just four opponents in April, the ‘Gades backstop has improved his CS% by nearly 18% month over month.
GAS STATION: Through 45 games this season the Renegades pitching staff has registered 509 strikeouts, the second most in the SAL and among all High-A teams, and the fifth-most among all non-Triple-A teams in the minor leagues. Hudson Valley pitchers are striking out 11.50 batters per nine innings, and 29.4% of all batters faced this season.
MY NAME IS INDIGO DIAZ: One of a flurry of roster moves made by the Yankees effecting the Renegades included recieving RHP Indigo Diaz from the Somerset Patriots. Diaz was acquired by the Yankees on December 28, 2023 from the Atlanta Braves along with INF Caleb Durbin in exchange for LHP Lucas Leutke.
THE K-ZONE: Over their last 17 games, the Renegades rotation owns a 3.40 ERA in 90.2 innings, good for third in the South Atlantic League and fifth in High-A. The Dayton Dragons (CIN) lead the way for High-A clubs with a 2.73 ERA. Hudson Valley starting pitching has struck out 107 batters, the second-most in this span trailing Greenville (BOS — 130).
ARSON PALENSKY: The New York Yankees promoted Aaron Palensky to Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, ending a phenomenal start to the season with Hudson Valley. In his last 25 games with the Renegades, he hit .379/.453/.796 (39-for-103) with 8 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 27 RBIs, 6 SB and 25 runs.
- He is currently first in HR (12), SLG (.744), & OPS (1.178), tied for second in TB (93) & XBH (23), third in AVG (.352), OBP (.434), & RBI (33), and tied for sixth in H (66) in the SAL.
- His 12 HR are the most among NYY minor leaguers.
- With two doubles and a HR on 5/25 at Wilmington, Palensky passed Everson Pereira for the most career extra-base hits in franchise history (46).
- He is t-5th among all non-AAA MiLB players in HR this season, and t-15th overall. Palensky has the fifth-highest OPS in the minor leagues.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: With a hit on Sunday, Eduardo Torrealba has tallied 111 career hits with the Renegades. He currently sits fifth in franchise history sitting behind Matt Rico (112) for fourth. Angel Perez holds the franchise record with 125. Aaron Palensky is also closing in on the century mark as well with 99 career hits in a Renegades uniform.
