(Gary, IN) — The Gary SouthShore RailCats signed three players today, all of whom are returning to Gary to suit up with the ’Cats. LG Castillo will rejoin the RailCats for his fifth season with the team, while RHP Peyton Long and catcher Cooper Edwards return for their third year.
Castillo, an outfielder from Buffalo, New York, was a standout in Western New York at Lancaster High School in both baseball and football— even scoring a touchdown at Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills. His rare combination of power and agility drew interest from MLB organizations. In the 2017 MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Castillo, who chose to sign rather than play college baseball at Oklahoma.
The 26-year-old quickly became a leader in the clubhouse thanks to his fluency in both English and Spanish. In 2022, Castillo made his RailCats debut, playing in 47 games while posting a .318 batting average, seven home runs, and a .516 slugging percentage. The “Buffalo Basher” was named an All-Star in 2023 after fans voted him in as the final selection. Over 331 games with the RailCats, he has collected 336 hits, 162 RBI, and a .264 average. With this being his fifth season, Castillo will become the longest-tenured RailCats position player since Alex Crosby, who played five seasons from 2015 to 2019.
“LG is a great person for the clubhouse,” RailCats Manager Jeff Isom said. “He also showed off some tremendous power last year. I was incredibly impressed with some of the exit velos I saw from him.”
Peyton Long, a 28-year-old pitcher from West Des Moines, Iowa, attended NAIA Central Methodist in 2019 and dominated with the Eagles. He pitched in 15 games, recorded a 2.33 ERA, threw two complete-game shutouts, and struck out 115 batters. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Long in the 30th round of the 2019 draft.
Long pitched in the Brewers organization for several seasons and spent 2023 in the Pioneer League with the Rocky Mountain Vibes. The Northpaw first joined the RailCats in 2024, but 2025 proved to be a breakout year. In 20 starts, he posted a 3.87 ERA, threw a team-high 123.1 innings, and led the club with 99 strikeouts. Long also spun the first nine-inning complete game by a RailCat since Dan Minor accomplished the feat in 2018. His performance against the Kansas City Monarchs earned him his second Carbliss Pitcher of the Week award in as many seasons.
“Peyton got us out of some really tough spots last year,” Isom said. “He made my job extremely easy when he could go out there and pitch deep into games. His competitiveness separated him from other pitchers in the league.”
Catcher Cooper Edwards returns from windy Amarillo, Texas, for another season with the RailCats. The 28-year-old played his college ball at Cameron University in Oklahoma, where he caught a no-hitter during his time with the Aggies.
Edwards began his professional career with the Florence Y’alls in 2022 and returned to them in 2023. Since joining the RailCats in 2024, he has showcased strong defensive skills. Over the past two seasons, his caught-stealing percentage has been well above league average, throwing out 30 total base stealers. Offensively, Edwards delivered several big performances, including a five-RBI game against the Lake Country DockHounds and a three-hit outing against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
“As a former pitcher myself, I understand what a catcher like Coop can do for our staff,” Isom said. “An underrated aspect in any sport is comfortability, and our pitchers always find comfort with Cooper behind the plate.”
The RailCats will open their 2026 season on the road on May 15 before returning home for their Steel Yard opener on May 22 against the Cleburne Railroaders. Fans can secure their seats now by visiting railcatsbaseball.com/tickets.