The New York-Penn League All-Star rosters have been announced and six Renegades will be in attendance. The Hudson Valley Renegades have been playing solid baseball this season, and Mikey York, Drew Strotman, Vidal Brujan, Zac Law, Oscar Rojas and Angel Perez have been big reasons why. They’ll all head to Troy, New York to represent the North All-Stars in this year’s game.
Few, if any, players in the NYP League are more deserving of an All-Star selection than Renegades starting pitcher Mikey York. He’s been easily the best pitcher in the league up to this point, leading starting pitchers in ERA (0.82) and WHIP (0.82). The 21-year-old is 4-1 and has held hitters to a .179 batting average as well. In 44 innings across eight starts, York has given up just four earned runs and has walked just eight batters compared to 37 strikeouts. The Rays’ fifth-round pick in 2016 extended his scoreless innings streak to a stunning 30 innings with a five-inning performance his last time out.
Another Renegades pitcher, Drew Strotman, has been impressive in his own right this season. He’s appeared in seven games this season, starting four of them. The fourth-round pick in this year’s Draft has worked to a 2-2 record, a 1.88 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and a 6:25 BB:K ratio. The 20-year-old is excelling in just his first taste of professional baseball and now has an All-Star selection to show for it.
On offense, there hasn’t been a more consistent hitter at the plate than Vidal Brujan. He’s batting .300 on the dot with three homers, 19 RBI and nine stolen bases. The 19-year-old’s best weapon has been his speed. He’s legged out nine doubles, four triples and is 9-14 in stolen base attempts. Brujan is also getting on base at an impressive rate, .398, and has walked about just as many times as he’s struck out this season.
In the outfield, Angel Perez will head to the All-Star Game for the second year in a row. Perez has built off an impressive 2016 season with the Renegades with an even better campaign in 2017. The 22-year-old is batting .309 with two homers, four doubles, three triples and 12 RBI. He ranks second, behind Brujan, in just about every offensive category for the Renegades. The two have been a great combo towards the top of the order.
Whether it’s behind the dish or in the outfield, Zac Law has been a huge part of the Renegades’ success this season. His versatility on defense has helped give his team options and he’s excelled wherever they decide to play him. The 21-year-old is batting .250 with three homers and leads the team with 20 RBI.
Finally, rounding out the Renegades’ representatives is outfielder Oscar Rojas. The 21-year-old has been a spark plug for the Renegades on both offense and defense. He’s batting .265 with five doubles, two triples, and 15 RBI. He’s shown off his speed as well with five stolen bases. In the outfield, he’s shown he can play all three positions well, putting on a highlight reel on more than one occasion.
This year’s All-Star Game will take place Tuesday, August 15 at Tri-City’s Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, New York. It’s the first time the game is being held at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium since 2008. The North and South squads are loaded with young talent and should make for an exciting game.