PHOENIX -- Braxton Ashcraft got news that he was going up to the Majors, called his fiancee, Cassidy, and … it was a whiff. She didn’t pick up, so he started calling the rest of the family before she eventually rang back.
“I heard a lot of screaming, so I assume she took it well," Ashcraft said with a grin after joining the Pirates on Monday in Arizona.
It’s an exciting day for an exciting pitcher, the No. 7 prospect in the Pirates’ system according to MLB Pipeline. Ashcraft has struck out 56 over 48 1/3 innings in his 10 Triple-A starts this year, but for now, the 25-year-old right-hander will be pitching out of the bullpen.
“He was pitching well down in Indy, obviously one of our big prospects,” manager Don Kelly said. “Love what he brings to the team. Does not mean he's not going to be a starter down the road, but just right now, felt like it was a good opportunity to bring him up, use him in a bulk role and help us win some games."
Ashcraft’s first turn in the Majors went very well Monday. While the Pirates lost to the Diamondbacks, 5-0, at Chase Field, Ashcraft was their highlight, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out the first hitter of his career --Tim Tawa -- with a 91 mph slider that registered over 2,600 rpm of spin.
It’s pitches like that punchout that make Ashcraft an intriguing reliever candidate. While Ashcraft has made only two appearances out of the bullpen in his pro career, it always seemed like a possibility for a variety of reasons.
The Pirates have a ton of young pitching. Their No. 15 prospect, Mike Burrows, is set to start against the D-backs on Tuesday, and Triple-A Indianapolis has three Top 100 prospects in its rotation (No. 2 Bubba Chandler, No. 84 Thomas Harrington and No. 93 Hunter Barco). There just aren’t enough starts to go around. Ashcraft has also maxed out at 73 innings in a season as a pro, so some load management is probably wise.
While Ashcraft hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen this year, he did have conversations about pitching in relief with general manager Ben Cherington during Spring Training.
“The conversation was that it doesn't really matter [when I pitched],” Ashcraft said. “I want to be here; I want to contribute. I want to be in the big leagues and pitch here. This is our goal. This is why we play the game.
“I think that as a starter coming up, you always have that in the back of your mind, that's what you want your career to be. But it's being in the big leagues. Being in environments like this, being around the guys and playing for a World Series -- not Triple-A championships, that's not in the forefront of my mind.
“It's competing for the World Series and doing it with the team in Pittsburgh. However I can contribute to the team and do that, I'm all for it."
There are going to be adjustments to the role. Ashcraft already has had some of those conversations, like with Burrows. On a start day, Ashcraft doesn’t eat much. He doesn’t talk much. The focus is on the game. That’ll have to change, but the mindset won’t.
“The game is the same,” Ashcraft said. “The preparation is generally the same. I can get ready in two hours or 10 minutes or five minutes. It doesn't matter. I think that as long as you stay ready and understand what your job is, stay ready and perform to the best of your ability, it doesn't matter what your role is.”
The stuff could also probably translate well to the bullpen. Ashcraft ramped his fastball up to 99 mph, and his slider consistently sat in the high 2000s in spin. When hitters did get a hold of his breaking ball, it averaged a sub-80 mph exit velocity.
It’s a new role at a new level, but Ashcraft is approaching it as the same game.
"My main thing for this whole process is making sure that I don't change my game,” Ashcraft said. “I got here because of the pitcher that I am. Trying to mend that in any way doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Being in the big leagues for the first time, it's a different environment, it's a different feel. … The biggest thing within that is just staying within yourself -- playing the game that got you here and not trying to do too much. Trust the fact that your stuff is good enough.”