Braxton Ashcraft's health situation is one of those good-news-bad-news situations for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Injuries have long limited the 2018 second-round pick, delaying his big league arrival for years until he finally broke through in 2025. Even then, he was limited, making just eight starts and spending most of his time working in relief while tallying 69.2 innings.
Ashcraft told fans at PiratesFest that he got the first healthy offseason of his career. It's allowed the 26-year-old the time to prepare, to tinker, and to get ready for a likely slot in the starting rotation rather than focusing on rehab for the first time, ever.