During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster.

Player: Braxton Ashcraft

Positions: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 195 pounds

2023 MLB statistics: None.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Selected in the second round out of Waco (Texas) Robinson High School in the 2018 MLB Draft.

This past season: Ashcraft returned to the mound for the first time since 2021, when he underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

It was humbling time for Ashcraft, a high school football star who had 104 catches for 2,090 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior. He didn’t play football his senior season, concentrating on baseball after signing with Baylor and dominating the diamond by going 11-1 with 103 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings.

The Pirates signed Ashcraft for $1.825 million, only to see his progress stunted by a series of injuries. He had a latarjet procedure on his right shoulder in 2019, which involves a bone graft and tendon transfer. The following year, with the minor leagues shut down because of the covid-19 pandemic, a lingering knee injury ended with a torn meniscus. Then the Tommy John surgery shut him down after 10 starts at High-A Greensboro, where he had 41 strikeouts against 12 walks.

“I came into pro ball from a real small town in Texas,” Ashcraft said. “I was a big fish in a real small pond, and I come into professional baseball and get humbled real quick. Not even through injuries, but performance. Seeing how everybody is as good or better than me. At 18 years old, that’s a tough pill to swallow, and growing up, I never really had anything that took me out of sports. I never had any injuries, I never had any grade things that takes me out of sports, and then I have my first injury and it takes me out of the game. It’s a real hard thing to deal with, a real hard thing to cope with, in all aspects.”

Ashcraft wanted to be challenged, but the Pirates were careful with his workload. He threw 52 2/3 innings in 19 starts over three levels in the minors, beginning the season at Low-A Bradenton and ending it with Double-A Altoona. Ashcraft recorded 11 strikeouts against one walk, allowing three hits and one walk in two scoreless starts, before being promoted to High-A Greensboro in mid-April.

“That’s why we do it,” Ashcraft said. “I was away from it for so long, I kinda lost how that felt. Lost a little bit of familiarity with the competitiveness. The first start back in Bradenton, it took one pitch to reinvigorate that love and reinvigorate that passion for the game and the competitive edge. It took one pitch. It was tough taking all that time away, but it was really fun getting back into it.”

After going 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and five walks in 26 1/3 innings over nine starts at Greensboro, Ashcraft was promoted again in late June. He went 0-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, with 23 strikeouts against eight walks in 20 innings over eight starts for the Curve.

Braxton Ashcraft RHP @AltoonaCurve

3 IP1 H0 BB3 K0 ER#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/psTd4xWthS

— Pittsburgh Pirates Player Development Report (@PGHplayerDev) August 10, 2023

He showed strong command with a four-seam fastball that sat at 95 mph and a high-80s slider complemented by a curveball and cutter, throwing 70% of his pitches for strikes. Ashcraft has a five-pitch repertoire but shelved his changeup to concentrate on refining the others.

“I think there’s just more maturity on the mound, with pitch selection, pitch shape, pitch design and, more so than that, how I go about my work, day in and day out,” Ashcraft said. “I put a lot of emphasis on putting the ball where I want to put it, throwing program and all of those things. There’s a lot that goes into what happens on the mound every fifth day. I think I’m taking more responsibility and more pride in that. It’s paid off on the mound. There’s things obviously I need to work on and try to add to my game so I can extend myself in starts. It’s always a work in progress.”

Braxton Ashcraft has some good stuff man. Sheesh.

Curveball is on point tonight, fastball hitting 97mph as well. pic.twitter.com/6SE957Mu0H

— Christian✞ (@CWolfPGH) August 10, 2023

The future: Baseball America tabbed Ashcraft the Pirates’ No. 10 prospect in its 2024 preseason rankings, signaling their belief that he has a bright future after an injury-plagued start to his career.

The Pirates selected Ashcraft and middle infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for the 40-man roster Tuesday, protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft.

“I wasn’t really expecting it, but it was something I was certainly anticipating,” Ashcraft said. “It’s part of the process and part of the journey. At the point I’m at in my career, you’re either going on or trying to find a place where you can fulfill the dreams that you’ve had in terms of being a professional baseball player at the highest level. I’m just thankful the Pirates gave me the opportunity to do that with them because I love everybody here.”

Ashcraft could start the season at Altoona if the Pirates continue to take a cautious approach but he’s expected to see time at Triple-A Indianapolis this summer and could make it to the majors in the next year. Ashcraft has every intention of living up to his billing but has learned to live in the moment.

“Being a higher draft pick and underperforming at the start of my career … going through those injuries taught me a lot of humility,” Ashcraft said. “I have to attribute where I’m at right now to the people who were around me and helped me get through those things.”

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