LANCASTER, PA — Adding to their roster for the 2024 season, the Lancaster Stormers have signed right-handed pitcher Brad Markey, as announced by manager Ross Peeples. This makes Markey the 13th player under contract with the Stormers for the upcoming season.
The 32-year-old Markey was a 19th-round draft pick for the Chicago Cubs in 2014, straight out of Virginia Tech. He made a splash in the second half of the 2015 season, going 7-0 with an impressive 1.15 ERA in eight starts for Class A+ Myrtle Beach. His winning streak continued into the next year when he won eight games for Class AA Tennessee.
A native of Baltimore, Markey split his time in 2017 and 2018 between Tennessee and Class AAA Iowa. In 2019, he transitioned from the Cubs to the Cincinnati Reds, again pitching at both the Class AA and AAA levels. Despite a challenging season where he went 5-7 with a 6.33 ERA across four locations, his overall career record remains strong, boasting a 26-19 record and a 3.60 ERA.
Known for his control on the mound, Markey has averaged only 2.2 walks per nine innings throughout his professional career. However, he has not pitched professionally since the 2019 season.
“Brad hasn’t pitched in a while, but he has very good career numbers,” said Peeples. “After going through surgery and all this time off, he has the itch to come back. He is a strike thrower and will be one of our starters. We are excited to give him the opportunity.”
As the Stormers prepare to defend their back-to-back Atlantic League Championships, the signing of Markey brings a new level of excitement to the team. The Stormers’ season will kick off on Thursday, April 25 at Long Island, followed by their home opener on April 30 at 6:45 against the league’s new entry, the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.
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