Meet The Gades: Yankees announce HV Break Camp Roster

Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (April 1, 2024) – The New York Yankees today announced the Break Camp Roster for the Hudson Valley Renegades, their High-A affiliate.

The initial Renegades roster features four of the Yankees’ Top 30 prospects and 12 returning players from the 2023 South Atlantic League North Division Championship season. Additionally, there are five players on the roster who appeared for Hudson Valley in the 2023 SAL Playoffs, but did not play with the team during the regular season.

Once again, the Renegades’ pitching staff projects to be the strength of the team, highlighted by Kyle Carr, the Yankees #10 prospect according to Baseball America and #11 per MLB Pipeline. Carr was a 3^rd round pick of the Yankees in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Palomar College. Returners Cole Ayers, Leonardo Pestana, Cam Schlittler, Baron Stuart and Joel Valdez will provide solid experience to the staff. Luis Arejula, Jackson Fristoe, Geoff Gilbert, Sebastian Keane and Matt Keating will all make their regular season Hudson Valley debuts after recording key outs in the 2023 playoffs.

Newcomers to the staff include Carr, Matt Givin, Brian Hendry, Trent Sellers and Ben Shields. Givin was signed as a minor league free agent by the Yankees after beginning his career with the Miami Marlins organization, while Hendry (10^th round), Sellers and Shields (non-drafted free agents) joined the Yankees to begin their careers in 2023.

Behind the dish will be familiar names for Renegades fans, as both Rafael Flores and Jesus Rodriguez return for the start of the 2024 season. Flores spent the entire season with Hudson Valley in 2023, where he hit .259/.346/.366 in 105 games. Rodriguez joined the Renegades on August 8 and hit .356 down the stretch while leading all Yankees minor leaguers in batting average (.310) for the full season. That tandem is joined by newcomer Omar Martinez, who was an offensive leader for the Tampa Tarpons last year, hitting .251/.367/.445 with 18 home runs, which was third-most in the Florida State League.

The Renegades infield is led by strong play up the middle, with Jared Serna (Baseball America #21, MLB Pipeline #20), Roc Riggio (Baseball America #29, MLB Pipeline #19), and Alexander Vargas projecting to receive a bulk of the playing time at second base and shortstop. Beau Brewer brings elite on-base skills, having finished second among Yankees minor leaguers in 2023 with a .410 on-base percentage, and defensive versatility to the club. Kiko Romero and Josh Moylan add left-handed power bats to the lineup as they both begin their first professional season.

In the outfield, Kyle Battle, Cole Gabrielson and Anthony Hall (MLB Pipeline #29) all return from the 2023 club and are capable of playing all three positions as well as providing punch in the lineup. They are joined by newcomers Garrett Martin and Nelson Medina. Medina had a strong season in Tampa in 2023, posting an .859 OPS and earning a late-season promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before playing in the Arizona Fall League. Martin was signed as a non-drafted free agent in July out of Austin Peay State University.

Overall, the Renegades roster is comprised of four members of the Yankees 2023 draft class (Carr, 3^rd round; Riggio, 4^th round; Romero, 7^th round; Hendry, 10^th round), and six players signed as free agents in 2023. The team boasts players hailing from five different countries and 13 different states in the US.

The 2024 Hudson Valley Renegades season begins on Friday, April 5 when the team kicks off a nine-game road trip with a 7:35 p.m. game against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Coverage on the Renegades Baseball Network begins at 7:15.

ABOUT THE HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES

The Hudson Valley Renegades have served as the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees since 2021 and were the South Atlantic League North Division Champions in 2023. Since 1994, the Renegades have provided the Hudson Valley with affordable, family-friendly entertainment through the game of baseball at Heritage Financial Park, part of the award-winning Dutchess County Parks system. Single game tickets for the 2024 30^th anniversary season are on sale now and may be purchased at www.hvrenegades.com or over the phone by calling (845) 838-0094.

ABOUT DIAMOND BASEBALL HOLDINGS

Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) was formed in 2021 to support, promote and enhance Minor League Baseball Clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball through professional management, best practices, innovation and investment (DiamondBaseballHoldings.com).