Braxton Ashcraft Showed Elite Control In First Year Back From Tommy John

After missing the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, Braxton Ashcraft returned to the mound this year and showed a blend of stuff and control that got him noticed on the national outlet circuit.

There may not have been a pitcher who took a bigger step on the radar as a prospect this season as big Texan right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.

The Pirates second round pick back in 2018 hadn’t pitched in the system since 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but finally returned to the mound this season. While obviously pitching on an innings limit, Ashcraft has flashed some great stuff that has quickly gotten him noticed by some national outlets.

After starting the season unranked on both, MLB Pipeline and Baseball America both gave the righty a huge bump, ranking 16th and 14th, respectively, on their Pirates Top 30 prospects.

With only a couple of weeks left in the season, and the fact Ashcraft hasn’t played since August 10 (he’s been on the Development List), the Pirates may have decided to have him turn in for the rest of the season.

If that’s the case, he’ll finish with a strikeout rate just under 30% (29.5) and a walk rate of 5.1%, posting a 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings that spanned three levels as he worked his way up.