GASTONIA, N.C. – The Ghost Peppers have signed right-handed pitchers Bryan Blanton, Tanner Myatt and Kent Hasler for the 2025 season, announced by general manager Brady Salisbury on Tuesday.
Blanton, 29, returns to Gastonia after pitching for the club in 2023 and 2024. The Albemarle native was drafted by the Yankees in 2017 out of Catawba College. He spent six years in the Yankees system, reaching High-A in 2019 and 2022. Blanton led all Gastonia pitchers with 57 appearances in 2023, going 3-2 with a 4.43 ERA and recording 78 punchouts in 61 innings. The righty made 35 appearances last season with the Club, posting a 5-3 record along with a 4.62 ERA. Blanton had his contract purchased by Saltillo of the Mexican League in July after 23 outings with Gastonia, and then returned after his stint in Mexico for the end of the season.
Myatt, 26, was Blanton’s teammate in 2022 with High-A Hudson Valley. He was drafted by the Yankees a year after Blanton, in 2018. The Spring Lake native pitched in the Yankees organization for seven years, reaching as high as Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre in 2023 and 2024. Myatt spent the bulk of his 2023 season with Double-A Somerset, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA and striking out 69 batters in 57 innings in relief.
Hasler, 29, returns to Gastonia after making 11 appearances for the Club in 2024. After attending Louisiana Tech University, Hasler pitched in independent ball for a few years before signing with the Brewers in 2021. The right-hander reached Triple-A Nashville in 2022. Hasler recorded a 4.91 ERA in the 11 relief outings with Gastonia last year, striking out 18 in 11 innings.
With the addition of these three righty arms, the Ghost Peppers have now signed 29 players for 2025.
The players who have signed so far are:
RHP Jimmie Sherfy
RHP Parker Kruglewicz
RHP Ryne Inman
RHP Matt Hartman
RHP Nick Snyder
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
RHP Raynel Espinal
RHP Bryan Blanton
RHP Tanner Myatt
RHP Kent Hasler
LHP Nick Horvath
LHP Ryan Hennen
LHP Kevin Smith
LHP Adam Scott
LHP Justus Sheffield
LHP Nick Wells
C Gavin Stupienski
C Luis Aviles
C Patrick Mazeika
INF Jake Hoover
INF Alan Alonso
INF Ethan Skender
INF Braxton Davidson
INF Jack Reinheimer
INF Richie Martin
OF Eric De La Rosa
OF Kevin Watson Jr.
OF Narciso Crook
OF Dalton Guthrie
The team will complete the player signing announcements over the next week.
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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.
The Ghost Peppers open the 2025 season on Friday, April 25 against the York Revolution. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Single game tickets are currently on sale. Contact the Ghost Peppers office at 980-415-2255, or visit www.ghostpeppersbaseball.com for more information.
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About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) – Celebrating its third decade, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. Over its 26-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,400 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its 10 family-friendly ballparks that stretch from New York to North Carolina. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.