GASTONIA, N.C. – RHP Matt Hartman has been named ALPB Pitcher of the Month of July, as announced by the Atlantic League on Wednesday.
Hartman made five appearances in July, with three of them being starts. He went 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA, issuing five walks and striking out 25 batters in 22.0 innings.
Hartman’s three starts all resulted in scoreless outings. The right-hander went 4.2 scoreless on July 4, he threw five shutout innings on July 22 and didn’t allow a run over six innings in his July 27 start. Hartman issued just two walks over those 16.2 innings as a starter in July.
The Valley Center, California, native attended the University of Arizona before pitching in the Atlanta Braves organization. Hartman reached as high as Double-A Mississippi with Atlanta’s system in 2021.
Since being in the Braves system, Hartman has pitched for the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association for two seasons and has also spent time in the Mexican League.
This season with the Ghost Peppers, Hartman has posted a 2-1 record with a 4.08 ERA in 14 appearances. He’s walked 21 and has punched out 56 hitters in 57.1 innings.
Alongside Hartman for July accolades, York’s Frankie Tostado won ALPB Player of the Month.
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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.