Have A Nice Fall: Six HV alumni selected to participate in Arizona Fall League
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2023) – Major League Baseball announced today the rosters for the 2023 Arizona Fall League (AFL), and four members of the 2023 Hudson Valley Renegades as well as two players from previous seasons were selected to participate in the prestigious post-season showcase. Infielders Ben Cowles
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2023) – Major League Baseball announced today the rosters for the 2023 Arizona Fall League (AFL), and four members of the 2023 Hudson Valley Renegades as well as two players from previous seasons were selected to participate in the prestigious post-season showcase.
Infielders Ben Cowles and Caleb Durbin will be joined by right-handed pitchers Baron Stuart and Nolberto Henriquez as members of the Mesa Solar Sox, a team comprised of Yankees, Cubs, Orioles, Astros and Athletics prospects. Additionally, 2021 Renegades infielder Oliver Dunn will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions and right-handed pitcher Beck Way of the ’21 and ’22 Renegades will compete for the Surprise Saguaros.
Cowles, 23, played in 106 games with the Renegades this season and hit .254/.356/.393 with 10 home runs and 23 stolen bases. Drafted in the 10th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft by the Yankees out of the University of Maryland, the highlight of Cowles’ season was a franchise record 41-game on-base streak from July 4-Aug. 28. Across parts of two seasons, Cowles hit .248/.353/.373 with the Renegades, finishing this season with 112 career hits.
Durbin, 23, was acquired by the Yankees in an offseason trade with the Braves and was a key offensive catalyst in April for the Renegades, batting .333/.464/.397 in 22 games with 15 stolen bases. Despite missing nearly two months with an injury, Durbin combined between the Renegades and Double-A Somerset Patriots to bat .304/.395/.427 with 36 stolen bases while walking 26 times and striking out only 18 times in 253 at-bats.
Stuart, 24, joined the Renegades in August and made seven starts down the stretch of the season, going 2-4 with a 5.26 ERA including two Quality Starts (6.0 IP, 3-or-fewer ER). Among minor league pitchers with at least 100.0 innings thrown, Stuart ranked 19th in groundball rate (52.9%). Stuart was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 21, 2022 after pitching collegiately at the University of South Florida and the University of Pittsburgh.
Henriquez, 23, was added to the Renegades roster for the 2023 South Atlantic League Playoffs, but did not appear in a game. In 23 regular season games between the FCL Yankees and Single-A Tampa Tarpons, he went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA out of the bullpen.
Dunn, 26, played 37 games for the Renegades in 2021, batting .209/.365/.391. He was selected in the Triple-A phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and hit .271/.396/.506 with a career-high 21 home runs and 27 doubles in 119 games with the Double-A Reading Fightin’ Phils in 2023.
Way, 24, posted a 4.47 ERA across 88.2 innings with the Renegades while striking out 109 batters between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in July 2022 in the trade that returned Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees. This year with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, Way went 2-9 with a 6.67 ERA in 28 games, with 17 starts.
In addition to these players, the Yankees are sending right-handed pitchers Kevin Stevens and Trystan Vrieling and outfielder Nelson Medina to Mesa. The Solar Sox will be managed by FCL Yankees manager James Cooper, and the Strength & Conditioning Coach is Ty Hill, also from the Yankees organization.
The AFL season begins on Monday, Oct. 2.
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. Season Ticket Memberships for the 2024 30th anniversary season are underway, 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).