This year the 2025 American Association All-Star Game will be played in Fargo, North Dakota. And when East meets West, the RailCats will have two All-Star Starters taking the field. Those two are centerfielder Jairus Richards and Shortstop
Elvis Peralta.
Jairus Richards is 28 years old, and he is from Gig Harbor, Washington. The speedster attended Cal State-Fullerton and played his first year of professional baseball in 2021 with the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League. In 2023, he was traded to
the Gateway Grizzlies were he shattered the league’s record for stolen bases with 75 in 89 games.
Richards signed with the RailCats after the opening series in Milwaukee and immediately left a big impact for the club. He clubbed four home runs during a five-game span and went on a 36-game on-base streak, second longest in RailCats history since joining
the AA. Richards is currently one stolen base away from tying the ‘Cats franchise record for stolen bases. The left-handed hitter has a .403 on-base percentage, seven home runs, and leads the league in stolen bases with 36.
Elvis Peralta is a 28-year-old who was born in New York but grew up in Massachusetts. The shortstop went to Crowder College and won the 2017 JUCO World Series Most Outstanding Hitter. He would transfer to Marshall University where he led the team in numerous
offensive categories. This would lead to him being selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Peralta would reach Triple-A with the Athletics before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The speedster would get his first experience of Partner League baseball in 2023 in the Pioneer League with the Rocky Mountain Vibes. The left-handed hitter was in
the Frontier League last year as a Tri-City ValleyCat and was a member of the Down East Bird Dogs before the RailCats acquired him in a trade.
Peralta has been swinging a fantastic bat for the RailCats. His average is at a .293 with a .376 on-base percentage and is second in the league in stolen bases with 21 this season. He also leads the team in hits, batting average and plate appearances.
The All-Star game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 22nd from Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. To see Richards and Peralta play, fans can purchase tickets on www.Tixr.com/RailCats, call the ballpark at 219-882-2255 or tune into the RailCats Broadcasting Network on www.AABaseball.TV,
Mixlr or WE.FM 95.9.
