On a cold. crisp spring day in the Hudson Valley, the Renegades hosted media day on Wednesday and had and a private workout to kickoff the 2022 season. The mood and general vibe of optimism around the team was something I found to be impressive. You could tell the team was eager to start playing other competition then themselves and wanting to make a strong statement after coming up a bit short from last year in what was a fun exciting and season at Dutchess Stadium.
Speaking to the new skipper, Tyson Blaser, his positive energy and excitement could be seen from the second he came to speak to the credentialed media. He mentioned he had big shoes to fill after new Somerset Patriots manager Dan Fiorito had such a fine season last year with the Renegades.
I asked Blaser what his expectations where for the season and what type of brand of baseball he wants to see his ball club play:
“We want to play an aggressive brand of baseball and win ballgames. The expectations are high after the success this team had last season. We want to win series, make the playoffs, and hopefully win a championship,” said Blaser.
Blaser mentioned that it was a very deep rotation from top to bottom. Matt Sauer, the veteran of the staff, got the Opening Day nod on Friday. When I asked about who to watch in the rotation or bullpen that people might not know of yet, two names kept coming up.
Beck Way and Will Warren are both young flamethrowers in the system. I spoke to Way on his expectations for the season and if he was working on anything new to raise his game and this is what he had to say about it.
Getting a chance to speak to catcher Austin Wells, you could see how excited he was to get the season underway after spending a good amount of time with the Renegades last season. I spoke to him about his expectations and how his time in the Arizona Fall League helped him be ready for the 2022 season.
One of the Players who is highly touted in the system is shortstop Trey Sweeney. I came away very impressed with the way the young man carries himself to a quite confidence that is a bright sight to see from any young player but especially one of your top-5 prospects.
All in all, I came away very impressed with the team the Renegades have assembled for the 2022 season. They are very deep and well-rounded in the rotation and the bullpen. i believe they have the deepest rotation in the South Atlantic League. The lineup and position players around the diamond bring speed, power, and versatility to a good core that can lead the Renegades to a division title and hopefully a championship.
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