Pittsburgh Pirates #7 overall prospect, RHP Braxton Ashcraft, certainly showed why he could be a very solid big-league starter in his Major League debut.
Ashcraft got the call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis late Sunday to join the Pirates’ bullpen as a long relief arm, which is something Pittsburgh hasn’t had this season. Despite below-average numbers in 10 Triple-A starts this year (5.03 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP), Ashcraft’s stuff certainly played at a high level in three scoreless innings against a tough Arizona lineup.
Ashcraft featured four pitches but primarily threw two – a four-seam fastball that averaged 97 MPH and touched 99, and a slider that he threw 48% of the time with command, which sat at 90-91 MPH. This is the same combo that Jared Jones featured last year and was very successful, although long-term, both will want to throw more than two pitches consistently.
Although he mainly relied on soft contact to get outs last night (only two strikeouts), it’s no surprise why his strikeout numbers have been high in the minor leagues. Ashcraft had 56 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched in 2025 for the Indianapolis Indians.
Manager Don Kelly said that the Pirates view him as a starter in the future but feel that he is best used in a bulk role for the time being. If Mike Burrows struggles in his second Major League start on Tuesday, it may be put into question whether Ashcraft should get a starting opportunity sooner rather than later.
Ashcraft is the first Pirates reliever to go at least three innings this season, and it was the third time in his professional career that he came out of the bullpen. He certainly did Kelly’s taxed bullpen a favor despite being in an unfamiliar position in what was the biggest moment of his life.