WAPPINGERS FALLS- For the second time this season, Hudson Valley Renegades RHP Drew Thorpe was honored as the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week, MLB announced on Monday. He received the honor for the week of July 17-23, 2023, and was previously named SAL Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 29-June 4, 2023, and the SAL Pitcher of the Month for June.
In his lone start of the week on Saturday, Thorpe threw 8.0 shutout innings while setting a new Renegades single-game record by striking out 13 batters. With his eighth strikeout of the game, Thorpe registered his 119th strikeout of the season to pass Mitch Spence (2021) for the Renegades single-season strikeout record. He picked up his 10th win of the season in the contest, passing Josh Maciejewski (2021) and Mike Venafro (1995) to establish a new single season wins record for the Renegades.
“Drew continues to perform the way he expects. He wants to push the envelope of his development and continue to excel in an area he is already comfortable with — striking batters out,” said Renegades pitching coach Preston Claiborne.“He’s pitching in the moment — trusting his process, routine, and applying what he is learning to his own talent and craft.”
Since June 1, Thorpe has been arguably the best pitcher in Minor League Baseball. In eight starts, he is 7-0 with a 0.65 ERA (4 ER/55.2 IP), and has allowed just 27 hits, 13 walks while striking out 72 batters. He leads MiLB pitchers in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and ERA (min. 30.0 IP) in that span.
He is one of two pitchers in MiLB this season to have two starts of 8.0-or-more shutout innings, joined by Austin Peterson of the Lynchburg Hillcats (CLE, A). Prior to Thorpe doing so twice (also on June 4 vs Aberdeen), no Renegades pitcher had thrown 8.0 shutout innings in a start since Tyree Hayes threw a 9-inning complete game shutout against the Lowell Spinners on Aug. 17, 2008.
Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Thorpe is ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Yankees organization by MLB Pipeline, and No. 8 by Baseball America. In recognition of his award, the Renegades will make a $500 donation in Thorpe’s name to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center Health Network before a game on the Renegades’ next homestand.
In picking up the SAL Pitcher of the Week Award for the second time, he becomes the fifth Renegades weekly award this season. He joins RHP Juan Carela and RHP Tyrone Yulie, who were named SAL Pitcher of the Week for the weeks of April 17-23, 2023, and June 19-25, 2023, respectively, and OF Aaron Palensky who was named SAL Player of the Week for the week of May 22-28, 2023.
Hudson Valley is on the road for the next two weeks at the Hickory Crawdads and Wilmington Blue Rocks before returning home to Heritage Financial Park on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, to take on the Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
