Renegades Magazine: Q&A with RHP Trent Sellers

A version of this article originally ran in the August edition of Renegades Magazine, which can be read in its entirety here. This version includes some extra questions not in the original piece.

One of the biggest breakout players in the Yankees minor leagues this year was Trent Sellers. In his first professional season, Sellers spent most of the year with the Renegades, going 6-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 31 games (nine starts) with Hudson Valley. He was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for July, was named a South Atlantic League All-Star after the season, and pitched in both no-hitters thrown by the 'Gades in 2024. He sat down for a wide-ranging chat about his college career, making the transition to professional baseball, and what other sports he played growing up in Washington.

Renegades Magazine: This is your first professional season after signing with the Yankees last year. How do you feel things have been going so far?

Trent Sellers: I think it's going really well. It's was a long first half for being my first season, but it's going well. So far much better than I expected shifting from college into pro ball. So it's going well.

RM: What was your biggest concern about making that transition from from college to pro ball, and especially, you know, going right to High-A with the Renegades and skipping over the Low-A level?

TS: I think it's just the amount of games, because in college, you know, we play 56 games max. Then coming to, what is it 132? It's double the season. So those days where in college you can go all out, you know, during catch play, you got to kind of re-focus yourself and be like, "Okay, we got a lot more games to play." You gotta space it out with catch play and throwing off the mound -- a bunch of stuff.

RM: I know for you, being a starter for most of your last few years in college and transitioning out to the bullpen, how was, how has that transition been?

TS: I would say it's gone a lot better than I thought. When they told me I was going to be a reliever, I was just like, "Oh, I don't know how it's going to go." Gotta shift my mentality kind of thing. You know, being a starter in college, you kind of got to conserve yourself, because you got to cover a certain amount of innings. And now that I'm a reliever I can go out there and just go all out two or three times a week.

RM: Do you like that ability to just kind of go out there and let it all hang out?

TS: Yeah, for my mentality, yes. I want to go all out all the time. But, you know, going from that, just like I said, going from college, you gotta conserve yourself for a little bit.

RM: We've talked a lot about for you making the transition, but in college, you had quite a journey from Washington State to Lewis & Clark to Oregon State. Just what was that like for you to kind of see those different levels and change up so many times while you were in college and having to make all those adjustments?

TS: It was a little hectic, you know, but they were the right decisions for me. It was my career, and I want to do the best what I could for it. And that's why I left WSU. That's why I left LC State. You know, I want to play the best competition possible, and it's worked out for me so far.

RM: What was that like at Lewis & Clark? I know they're kind of an NAIA powerhouse, so I gotta imagine playing some some good quality competition at that level. But just what was that like, kind of differentiating from what it was the next year at OSU?

TS: LC State -- it's a powerhouse in NAIA. There are a bunch of good coaches, good guys on that team, you know, I think it's overlooked a lot from like D1 to pro baseball kind of thing. Like all those guys are working their butts off to just do what I did. I went on to a powerhouse D1 but, you know, great group of guys. It's amazing group of guys there.

RM: Last year, going undrafted and then signing with the Yankees. What was that process, like for you? Were you expecting to hear your name called on draft day?

TS: I had good talks with a bunch of MLB teams going into the draft. And you know, if my name came up during the draft, perfect, if it didn't, I had other teams that I could go and luckily, [the Yankees] called me right after the draft, 22 and I was like, "Okay, yeah, let's do it."

RM: What was the biggest thing for you last year, after you signed, obviously, you didn't end up pitching -- most college pitchers, especially, don't end up pitching after the draft anymore. But just what was that process, then those next couple of months for you to to start to get ready for spring training this year and get this season underway?

TS: A lot of learning. I was told I was going to be reliever. So, you know, talking to a lot of my teammates, who were relievers, getting their insight on what I should do, how I should approach it, as well. As, you know, I was facing a bunch of, like, minor league guys from my own town during the off season, which got me to, you know, face pro guys before facing pro guys kind of thing. And it was really good, really awesome.

RM: You had a cameo appearance for one game up in Triple-A. What was the biggest thing that you took away from that experience with Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre?

TS: I think it was an eye opener, you know. I'm facing Jose Iglesias, as my first guy. You're facing big, big leaguer for 14 years, I think. And you're like, "Okay, now I'm right on the doorstep" kind of thing, of guys that are in and out of MLB. It's a different type of ball game up there -- smaller strike zone, different baseballs. I had fun, though. It was an awesome time, awesome experience.

RM: You get to face the guy who's number one on the Latin music charts for that, that song that he put out right after, oh my goodness. How do you feel like you've evolved as a pitcher from when we saw you in in early April, to where you are right now?

TS: Just changing my mechanics up, trying to throw harder, trying to throw every pitch actually harder, to get me to that next step of being on the like MLB average charts of pitching wise and, you know, still gaining knowledge as a reliever. I learn every day from guys on the bullpen like Matt Keating, Mason, Vinyard, Cole Ayers, Huey [Hueston Morrill] just, you know, I want to learn as much information as possible.

RM: I know you were a good athlete growing up playing a lot of different sports. If you didn't play baseball professionally, what would you play?

TS: Hockey. I played until I was 14 years old, and I would say I was pretty good. I don't really want to be like I was him, but I was him at that. But I was really small. I was about 5-3, 5-4, and then the year I quit hockey, I hit my growth spurt to be 6-0, 6-1, the year right after that. So could have been different if I was that tall at that time. But, you know, it worked out.

RM: Did you ever think about trying to pick it back up again?

TS: Oh yeah, definitely. When baseball's over, probably play some beer league hockey with my friends, some of my old teammates. They've always been asking me when I go back home, "When are you going to come play? When are you going to come watch?" I know if I come watch, I'll want to want to play. So just can't do it yet.

RM: I know you're a Washington guy, are you a Seattle Kraken fan? Or do you have a different NHL team? Chicago

TS: The Chicago Blackhawks. I was a big Patrick Kane guy back in the day.

RM: Was there anyone else you kind of looked at? Were you a winger like Kane?

TS: No, I was a center, you know, I was, I would call myself the playmaker, goon, you know? I was the smallest guy, but I was also the fastest guy who could run guys over. Wasn't afraid of anybody. So, got in a few fights back in the day. But, you know, it worked out.