This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon’s Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
DETROIT -- Although a fourth-year Major League pitcher, the Reds' Graham Ashcraft has enjoyed some new experiences already in 2025.
Ashcraft got a new number, switching from 51 to 23 as a favor to starter Brady Singer when he was acquired. Ashcraft also took on the role of first-time reliever after three seasons as a starter.
But for the right-hander, nothing will beat Ashcraft's first Father's Day as a new dad on Sunday. On Jan. 25, he and his wife Emily welcomed their baby daughter, Sophia James Ashcraft. With that came a whole new perspective.
"How can it not change anything?" Ashcraft said. "You kind of go just being about you, and your wife, and being in the job I am in, a lot of time you have to be a little selfish because of the stuff we do each and every day. Bringing a baby, especially a baby girl, into this world makes it mean that much more to go home, because you go through so much. There are so many ups and downs, it's such a roller coaster in the season. Getting to have her at the house whenever I show up, it's never a bad day."
Now that Sophia is almost five months old, Ashcraft is enjoying watching his daughter's development and personality taking shape in small ways.
"She's starting to figure her feet and stuff out. She's starting to chitter-chatter a little bit. She's getting to the fun age," Ashcraft said.
On the mound, the 27-year-old Ashcraft has become one of manager Terry Francona's key late-inning relievers for high-leverage situations. He is 4-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 28 appearances entering Sunday, and 10 of 10 of his inherited runners have been left stranded.
The Reds have been pleased with how relatively smooth Ashcraft's transition to a bullpen role has been, as well as his preparation for pitching in back-to-back games.
However, not every relief appearance goes his way.
"She doesn't care. You know she doesn't know," Ashcraft said. "What makes it great is every time you walk through the door, that smiling face is sitting there looking at you, no matter what. No matter if you've had the worst day ever or the best day. That's something that always helps change your perspective when you get home. You go through so much, but coming home and seeing her sweet little face, it just completely turns everything around."
Being a dad on Father's Day was already fun for Ashcraft before it got here.
"It makes it awesome," he said. "My wife already gave me my Father's Day gift. I got it early, because they're not going to be in Detroit on Sunday. It's something real cute, I'll just say that, that my wife got me to wear."