GASTONIA, N.C. – Justin Wylie hit his 20th homer of the season on Friday night, becoming the fourth ALPB player this year to join the 20-home run, 20-stolen base club.
Wylie entered Friday with 20 steals on the season, and he crushed an opposite-field two-run homer in the first inning against Lancaster. Wylie joined the “20-20 club” for a second consecutive season with Gastonia, going 30-20 in 2024.
The second baseman currently leads the Ghost Peppers in homers (20) and RBIs (76), while leading the league with 69 walks.
Wylie joins Charleston’s James Nelson (29 HR, 44 SB), High Point’s Ben Aklinski (27 HR, 29 SB) and Lexington’s Brady Whalen (22 HR, 27 SB) in the 20-20 club this season.
The Chandler, Arizona, native was Gastonia’s lone 2025 Mid-Season All-Star. Following a banner 2024 season, Wylie was named to the ALPB Postseason All-Star team with the Baseball Club.
Wylie’s made his mark on the Gastonia organization, becoming the franchise’s all-time home run leader on June 29 of this year. He becomes the third player in franchise history with multiple 20-20 seasons, joining Jake Skole (2021, 2022) and Zach Jarrett (2022, 2023).
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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.