GASTONIA, N.C. – RHP Bryan Blanton became Gastonia’s all-time strikeout leader on Wednesday, recording his 167th punchout with the organization.
The right-hander surpassed LHP Ian McKinney, the previous strikeout record holder with 166, in Wednesday’s game against Lexington. Blanton struck out Lexington’s Brady Whalen swinging to end the sixth inning, putting him atop the leaderboard.
Blanton, 29, began pitching for Gastonia in 2023, having spent time with the franchise in parts of all three seasons. He recorded 78 strikeouts in 61 innings with the club in 2023, posting eight saves.
The Albemarle native punched out 36 batters in 37 innings last season with the Baseball Club, and this season struck out 52 in 36.2 frames entering Wednesday.
Blanton was drafted by the Yankees in 2017 and pitched in New York’s system until 2022. He’s now the all-time strikeout leader in Gastonia’s franchise, having made a franchise-high 120 appearances – all out of the bullpen.
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Gastonia Ghost Peppers begins its second season of operations with Zawyer Sports & Entertainment – a sports ownership group with professional teams operating in the U.S. and the fifth season for the franchise at CaroMont Health Park in the FUSE District of Gastonia. The Ghost Peppers have made the ALPB Playoffs for three consecutive seasons, setting the league record for highest win percentage in a three-year span (.651 from 2022-2024.)
In their inaugural season, the Ghost Peppers had seven players with contracts purchased by other leagues, whether that be MLB-affiliated clubs or leagues outside the country. They also had two former players make their MLB debuts in 2024 — Spencer Bivens (Tigers) and Bryan Sammons (2024.) Bivens is on the Giants’ 26-man roster in 2025. J.C. Escarra, who played for Gastonia in 2023, is currently on the Yankees’ 26-man roster.
Single game tickets for the Gastonia Ghost Peppers are currently on sale. Contact the Ghost Peppers office at 980-415-2255, or visit www.ghostpeppersbaseball.com for more information.