Braxton Ashcraft #67

Braxton Blake Ashcraft...Is a 2018 graduate of Robinson (Texas) High School, where he went 11-1 with 103 strikeouts in 70.1ip as a senior...Also hit .391 with three homers and 26 RBI at the plate....Was a standout high school football player and had multiple offers to play collegiately....Had 34 touchdown catches as a sophomore and 37 TD receptions among his 104 catches and 2090 yards as junior....Grew up a fan of the Texas Rangers, but cites his favorite player as being Stephen Strasburg....Pitched on the Under Armour All-American team in the summer of 2017 and struck out two of the three batters he faced in a game played at Wrigley Field....Signed by Pirates scout Phil Huttmann.

2024

Went 3-2 with a 2.84 ERA (73.0ip/23er) and 77 strikeouts in 16 combined appearances (14 starts) between Altoona and Indianapolis...Earned the win in the inaugural Spring Training Breakout Game against the Orioles on 3/14...Began the season with Altoona...Started on 4/9 vs. Harrisburg in Altoona’s Home Opener and gave up four runs in 3.0 innings in a no-decision...Made his lone Double-A relief appearance on 4/14 vs. Harrisburg (2.0ip/2r)...Suffered a loss while tossing a 6.0-inning complete game on 5/2 at Harrisburg (Game 1); gave up six runs (four earned) while throwing 80 pitches...Pitched 5.0 scoreless innings while winning his first decision on 5/8 vs. Somerset...Pitched 7.0 scoreless innings and had 10 strikeouts on 5/14 at Akron, but had a no-decision in the walk-off loss...Tossed 14.0 consecutive scoreless innings from 5/2-19...Went 1-1 with a 1.95 ERA (32.1ip/9r/7er) in six starts during the month of May...Finished tied for first in the Eastern League in strikeouts (39), fifth in ERA, fourth in innings pitched (39.0) and fifth in WHIP (0.99) in the month of May...Struck out a career-high 12 batters and did not walk a batter in 7.0 innings while winning his second decision on 6/6 at Richmond (the most punchouts by a Curve pitcher since Tyler Glasnow in 2015)...Was promoted to Indianapolis on 6/11...Made his Triple-A debut on 6/13 at Jacksonville and gave up one run in 6.0 innings for the win... Pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in his second start on 6/19 vs. Iowa...Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings on 6/25 at Rochester, but received a no-decision...Was placed on the seven-day injured list on 6/28 (retro to 6/27)...Was reinstated on 7/6 and tossed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief that day vs. Louisville...Returned to the injured list on 7/12 with recurring symptoms of lateral forearm tightness (was reinstated on 8/30)...Returned to the I.L. on 8/31 and missed the remainder of the season.

2023

Went a combined 0-3 with a 2.39 ERA (52.2ip/14er), 63 strikeouts, 11 walks, .231 batting average against and 1.08 WHIP in 19 starts between Bradenton, Greensboro, and Altoona…Finished with the 14th-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.73) in all of Minor League Baseball out of the 1362 pitchers who threw at least 50.0 innings… Began a rehab assignment with Bradenton on 4/9…Struck out five batters in 3.0 scoreless innings in his season debut on 4/9 vs. Clearwater…Struck out six batters in 3.1 scoreless innings in his final rehab start with Bradenton on 4/15 at Lakeland…Was activated from the seven-day injured list to Greensboro’s roster on 4/21…Struck out six batters in 4.0 scoreless innings in his season debut with Greensboro on 4/21…Spent one week on the development list from 5/9- 16 to manage innings…Was transferred to Altoona’s roster on 6/20…Allowed one unearned run in 3.0 innings in his Double-A debut on 6/21 against Bowie…Tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in his last outing on 8/10 before being placed on the development list for the remainder of the season on 8/11… Was rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 10 prospect according to Baseball America (No. 12 by MLB Pipeline) at the time he was added to the 40-man roster in November.

2022

Missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

2021

Spent the entire season with Greensboro…Recorded a 1.65 ERA (16.1ip/3er) in his four starts during May, allowing all three runs on solo homers…Was placed on the 60-day injured list on 7/27 before undergoing Tommy John surgery while missing the remainder of the season.