Home Away From Home: Californian Carr fell in love with Hudson Valley

For a Southern California kid, moving to the Northeast was an adjustment at first for Kyle Carr. He lived in San Diego his entire life, but after being selected in the third round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft by the Yankees, the left-hander began his pro career with the Renegades in 2024. Over the course of nearly two full seasons in the Hudson Valley, Carr has discovered what makes him feel comfortable far from home.

“I love the area,” Carr said. “I love the lakes and the hikes. I love nature, so it's been great getting used to the Northeast. Whenever I get outside, it's a good time.”

Growing up in San Diego, Carr spent a lot of time outside. It has been refreshing to discover the beauty of the Hudson Valley, as he takes every chance he can to explore when he gets free time.

“It's just what I'm used to being outside,” Carr said. “No beaches [like San Diego], but it's definitely it's close enough, and whenever I get outside, it helps reset my mental state.”

In 2025, the Yankees prospect has taken a major step in his development. From the beginning of June through his September promotion to Double-A, Carr had a 0.98 ERA in 82.1 innings, allowing just nine total earned runs. He was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month for July, being charged with just one earned run in 24.1 frames.

That stretch helped Carr lead the South Atlantic League in ERA (1.96) for the full season, and after the year he was named the SAL Pitcher of the Year, capping off a season of tremendous growth.

After a pro debut season when he never threw six innings in a start, Carr has made it routine to go deep into games and record quality starts. Working with Renegades pitching coach Demetre Kokoris has been eye-opening. In his first year in the Yankees organization, Kokoris has provided a meaningful perspective.

“I feel like he does a good job of letting me think for myself and learning from my own mistakes, instead of telling me exactly what I did wrong,” Carr said. “I feel like that helped me learn a lot this year. He does a good job of telling me what I what I need to know when I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but also letting me figure it out for myself.”

Carr’s strong relationship with Kokoris has also allowed him to feel more secure, both within the Yankees farm system and as a Renegade.

“It's huge,” Carr said. “Having a coach like that makes performing out on the field and having confidence a lot easier.”

Struggling with injuries during his time in college, Carr only had a total of 94 innings under his belt across three seasons. The workload adjustment of a minor league season was a big transition for him in 2024, as Carr threw 104 innings to begin his pro career. He felt much better prepared for that schedule this season.

“I think just focusing on what I can control and my process every day,” Carr said. “Trying to create a routine that I follow every day, and especially on my start days. Forgetting about all the things I can't control and just focusing on what I can do has helped a lot. I learned a lot from a full season last year. Having that full year, I feel like I know what to expect this year.”

Carr has been part of an outstanding Hudson Valley starting rotation this season. The staff has featured top prospects like Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Bryce Cunningham. Being around so much high-level pitching talent has also provided countless opportunities for Carr to grow.

“I think that's also a big part of my own success this year is learning from all these guys,” Carr said. “All of our pitchers are great pitchers, so it's hard not to learn something from each and every one of them. I just watch them go about their process, and before their start days, and use some of it for my own.”

In his second season with the Renegades, Carr set numerous team records, including for games started (46), innings pitched (223.1) and strikeouts (199).

During a season featuring extensive roster turnover, Carr was a mainstay in the Renegades rotation this season. As fellow starters have been promoted to Double-A or traded to other organizations, the 23-year-old continues to perform when he is needed for the Renegades. The team has continued to maintain a very positive atmosphere in the clubhouse, helping them keep winning games despite all the changes.

“I think just the camaraderie helps,” Carr said. “I think we all have fun together. We don't take each other too seriously, even when we're skidding a little bit. Just try to stay up. And we have a lot of good guys that help keep the keep the positive vibes up.”

His patience and attitude paid off on Sept. 3, when he was promoted to Double-A to join his former teammates with the Somerset Patriots for his final three starts of the season.

Though his time in the Hudson Valley is likely finished, Carr developed a fondness for this region, and expressed gratitude for the crowds that he got to pitch in front of for two years.

“I think just the consistency every night really stands out,” Carr said. “You can expect them to be cheering for us and showing out each and every night.”

The San Diego kid found a second home in the Hudson Valley.