GASTONIA, N.C. – Justin Wylie hit his 47th home run with Gastonia on Sunday, taking over sole possession for the most homers in franchise history.
Wylie’s record-breaking home run came in the first inning off Charleston’s Kyle McGowin, getting the scoring started in an eventual 14-3 rout of the Dirty Birds to finish off a weekend sweep for the Ghost Peppers.
The Gastonia second baseman was a 2024 Atlantic League All-Star with the Baseball Club, hitting a season-high 34 homers. Wylie became the third player in league history to join the 30-20 club, stealing 25 bases to go along with the 34 wallops.
Wylie crushed his team-leading 13th home run of the season on Sunday in Charleston, putting him at 47 during his Gastonia career. He surpassed both Zach Jarrett and Jake Skole, who each had 46 homers with the franchise.
The Chandler, Arizona, native attended San Diego State and the University of Arizona before playing indy ball. He spent time in the Frontier League and American Association before having a banner 2024 year with Gastonia, recording career-highs in games played (120), homers (34), RBIs (84), steals (25), walks (76), runs scored (93) and total bases (232).