GASTONIA, N.C. – Ghost Peppers starting pitcher Justus Sheffield had his contract purchased by Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League on Wednesday.
Sheffield, 29, made 15 appearances with Gastonia this season, six of them being starts. He went 5-2 with a 5.27 ERA, striking out 33 in 42.2 innings.
The southpaw was drafted by Cleveland in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He was then traded to the Yankees in 2016 in a package for LHP Andrew Miller, and then was shipped to Seattle in 2018 for LHP James Paxton.
Sheffield made 48 appearances in MLB for the Yankees and Mariners, with 33 of them being starts. He posted a 12-12 record with a 5.47 ERA. Sheffield has pitched in Triple-A for the Braves and Reds organizations since spending time in the majors.
Sheffield becomes the third Ghost Pepper to have his contract purchased this season, joining Richie Martin (Texas Rangers) and Patrick Mazeika (Mexico City).
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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.