(Gary, IN) The RailCats bolstered their starting rotation today by returning two starting pitchers, LHP Chris Erwin, and RHP Peyton Long. Erwin will rejoin the ‘Cats for his fifth year with the organization, while Long will be in his second year in the green and maroon.
Chris Erwin is a Georgia native that was selected by the Minnesota Twins coming out of high school, but decided to attend college at Kennesaw State University. He was selected to 2015 Atlantic Sun Conference All-Second Team as a sophomore and made it to the professional ranks in 2019. The southpaw joined the RailCats in 2021 and in 14 games had a 3.10 ERA. Last year, Erwin started in 16 games, had a 5.21 ERA, and struck out 70 batters in 74.1 innings. Since joining the franchise, Erwin has started in more games, struck out more batters, and pitched in more innings than any other RailCats hurler.
“When healthy Chris can be one of the better LHP starting pitchers in the American Association.” RailCats Manager Lamarr Rogers said. “In 2024 he worked through the season recovering from off-season surgery, in 2023 and at the beginning of 2024 seasons he had gained the attention of some MLB teams. It’s a bright future if he can just stay healthy.”
Peyton Long is a lengthy 6-4 right-hander from West Des Moines, Iowa. Long was a 2019 draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, he pitched a few years in the system and in 2023, pitched for the Rocky Mountain Vibes in the Pioneer League. The chucker made his way to Gary last year and put together some really impressive starts. Long won the pitcher of the week award on the week ending on June 23rd. Long had made two starts that week against Winnipeg and Lincoln, he picked up two wins, pitched seven innings in each start, allowed just one earned run, and struck out six batters. For the season, Long made 21 starts, pitched 113 innings, and walked just 29.
“At times Peyton was electric on the mound, he attacked the zone, threw strikes, mixed pitches and worked fast.” Lamarr Rogers said. “With a season under his belt in the league, improvement with avoiding the “big inning” will be the key to his success in 2025.”
The Gary SouthShore RailCats are entering their 22nd season and opening day is scheduled for May 9th in Franklin against the Milwaukee Milkmen. The home opener at the US Steel Yard will take place on Tuesday, May 13th at 6:45 as the Cleburne Railroaders come into town. Tickets for all RailCats games can be purchased by clicking the link, or you can call the office at (219)-882-2255. https://railcatsbaseball.com/