Braxton Ashcraft

Ashcraft is overshadowed within the Pirates' farm system by the likes of Bubba Chandler and even Thomas Harrington, but he's had a quick rise through the minors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. He's delivered strikeout rates of 29.6 and 25.8 percent in the last two seasons and maintained a particularly tidy 4.0 percent walk rate across 73 innings in 2024. Zooming out a bit, Ashcraft has an untraditional pitch mix for a starter, with his slider and curveball leading his arsenal. In contrast, his fastball is less well-regarded, which could cause issues in the majors when he faces hitters that have fewer issues handling velocity. Another major concern is Ashcraft's health. He lost nearly the entire second half of 2024 with forearm injuries, making only two starts after the calendar flipped to July. Monitoring his health will be key come February when he reports to spring training, though there isn't much standing in the way of his big-league debut given that he's already on the 40-man roster. Coming from an organization well regarded for its pitching development in recent seasons, Ashcraft has the chance to be a key late draft pick or FAAB addition. Read Past Outlooks