WAPPINGERS FALLS- Hudson Valley Renegades pitcher Chase Hampton was named the Top Pitching Prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2023 in Baseball America’s annual Best Tools Survey, the publication announced today. Joining him in recognition in the survey was pitcher Drew Thorpe and infielder Jared Serna.
Hampton becomes the first Renegade to be named a league’s top pitching prospect since Two-Way Player Brendan McKay was named the New York-Penn League Top Prospect in 2017.
Hampton began the season with the Renegades and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.68 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 47.0 innings pitched across nine games before he was promoted to Double-A Somerset. Hampton struck out an incredible 40.5 percent of the batters he faced with the Renegades while limiting opponents to a .179 batting average.
A sixth-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Tech, Hampton is ranked as the No. 2 prospect and top pitching prospect in the Yankees organization by Baseball America, and No. 53 overall in baseball.
Thorpe was tabbed as having the Best Changeup and Best Control of all pitchers in the SAL. His record-setting season with the Renegades includes setting the team’s single-season wins record (10), single-game strikeout record (13) and single-season strikeout record (138).
A second-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal Poly, BA ranks Thorpe as the No. 10 prospect in the Yankees system, and No. 100 overall in baseball.
A newer member of the Renegades, Serna was tabbed as the Best Defensive Second Baseman and Most Exciting Player in the Florida State League for his efforts with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons.
All-Time Renegades Named Top Pitching Prospect in League by Baseball America
- RHP Matt White, 1997^
- RHP Jeremy Hellickson, 2006^
- RHP Taylor Guerrieri, 2012^
- LHP/1B Brendan McKay, 2017^
- RHP Chase Hampton, 2023, Top
^ – won Best Overall Prospect in New York-Penn League.
