Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft Aims For Strong Outing vs. Tigers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need great performances from their starting rotation in 2026 and especially from right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.
Ashcraft gets at least one more start in the Grapefruit League, as they host the Detroit Tigers at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. on March 18.
He finally made his MLB debut last May and spent the final four months of the 2025 campaign with the Pirates, excelling from the bullpen and then earning spots in the starting rotation.
Ashcraft should serve almost exclusively as a starting pitcher this season, joining the likes of Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller and fellow rookie Bubba Chandler.
He has made three starts in Spring Training, but not in the past 12 days, marking his longest break in-between outings so far.
Ashcraft faced the Philadelphia Phillies on March 6 at LECOM Park and threw three scoreless innings, before giving up back-to-back doubles and then departing, finishing with two earned runs allowed.
His other starts came vs. the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. on Feb. 22 and against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Feb. 28.
Ashcraft threw just two innings in his first start vs. the Phillies, giving up a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber, plus four hits total and a walk, but just that run allowed.
He then had a solid showing vs. the Astros, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit and one walk, while posting two strikeouts.
Ashcraft has a 3.38 ERA over 8.0 innings pitched, with a .258 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.13 WHIP.
His pitch mix is mostly his sinker, slider, four-seam fastball and curveball, while throwing the changeup in the game vs. the Astros.
Pitch | Total | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Sinker | 34/123 (28%) | 95.6 mph |
Slider | 32/123 (26%) | 91.6 mph |
Four-Seam Fastball | 27/123 (22%) | 96.6 mph |
Curveball | 23/123 (19%) | 84.2 mph |
Changeup | 7/123 (6%) | 90.3 mph |
Ashcraft may not make another start in the Grapefruit League, so the Pirates will want to see a longer and good outing from their young pitcher vs. the Tigers.
Other Lineup Notes for the Pirates
The Pirates are mostly running with the same players vs. the Tigers that they had in the lineup in their most recent game, a 10-2 loss to the Astros at home on March 17.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz is still in leadoff, second baseman Brandon Lowe is now hitting second instead of fifth, Bryan Reynolds and Marcell Ozuna stay at left field and designated hitter, plus third in sand fourth in the batting order, respectively, Spencer Horwitz remains at first base and moves up two spots to fifth, while catcher Joey Bart is still eighth in the lineup.
Konnor Griffin returns to the Pirates lineup, playing shortstop and batting ninth for his second straight start.
Utility players Nick Yorke and Tyler Callihan are both starting, with Yorke in right field and hitting sixth and Callihan at third base and hitting seventh.
Yorke and Callihan are battling each other for a spot on the Pirates roster for Opening Day, so this makes it an important game to see who separates themselves.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.