Graduated from Huntsville (AL) High School...played at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Mississippi State University...played in the 2015 Perfect Game National Showcase.
2023
Led the staff in starts (26), quality starts (15) and innings pitched (145.2) despite stints on the 15-day disabled list with a left calf contusion (6/9-6/23) and broken toes in his right foot (9/2-remainder of the season)…On 9/19 had surgery to repair fractures in his right big toe and right second toe...In his first six starts through 5/2 went 2-0, 2.00 (.202baa)…In his next eight appearances, from 5/7-6/24, went 1-6, 12.82 (.386baa)…In his last 12 appearances of the season, beginning 6/30, went 4-3, 2.58 (.228baa) with 10 of his 15 quality starts...In 13 appearances overall between stints on the IL, from 6/24-9/1, went 4-4, 3.12 (.245baa)…Started the third game of the season and on 4/2 earned the 3-1 win vs the Pirates...following two rainouts, didn’t pitch again until 4/10 at Atl...In his first three starts (19ip, 3er) became the eighth Reds pitcher, since 1901 and including Nick Lodolo in 2023, to begin a season with at least 17.0 innings while allowing four earned runs or fewer...Became the first Reds pitcher to begin a non-COVID season with three consecutive quality starts since Amir Garrett in 2017 (3qs) and the first righthander to do it since Anthony DeSclafani in 2015 (3qs)…Became the first Reds pitcher to begin a season with six starts without allowing more than two earned runs in any of those starts since Luis Castillo began the 2019 campaign by allowing 2 ER or fewer in each of his first seven starts...In the 5-3 walkoff win on 4/26 vs Tex, pitched 2 days after the death of his 82-year-old grandmother, Ann Ashcraft, a Rangers fan who lived in Fort Worth...the next day went on the bereavement list...in his next start, on 5/2 at SD, allowed one run in 6.0 innings... Between a solo HR by Pit’s Bryan Reynolds in his season debut and a two-run HR by WSox’ Hanser Alberto’s on 5/7 in his seventh start, Ashcraft recorded a career-high homerless streak of 33.0 innings...In the 17-4 loss on 5/7 vs WSox allowed a career-high eight runs in 1.2 innings...was the shortest start of his career...was charged with all eight runs in the second inning after throwing a perfect first frame...Entered that 5/7 start vs WSox leading all National League pitchers in bWAR (2.1), the third-best bWAR among all players in the Major Leagues (Gerrit Cole 2.5, Ronald Acuña Jr. 2.2)…Was charged with two pitch timer violations (5/12 at Mia, Jorge Soler walked & 8/9 vs Mia, Josh Bell batting)…Made his last appearance of the season on 9/1, when he left his start in the top of the fifth inning with the right foot injury... went on the 15-day injured list the next day...Was transferred to the 60-day injured list on 9/18, when RHP Connor Phillips was promoted to start vs the Twins.
2022
In his Major League debut ranked among the National League rookie pitching leaders in starts (T3rd, 19gs), innings pitched (4th, 105.0), ERA (7th, 4.89), strikeouts (11th, 71), opponents' BA (8th, .281) and WHIP (1.42, 8th)...From 8/23-9/23 missed 32 days and 31 games while on the 15-day injured list with right biceps soreness...In 16 starts prior to the injury went 5-3, 3.97...in his last five starts prior to his injury went 1-1, 2.67 (33.2ip, 32h, 10er, 8bb, 24k, 3hr, .252baa), lowering his ERA from a season-high 4.70 to 3.97...After two rehab appearances for Chattanooga and Louisville (5.2ip, 15h, 10r, 5er, 1bb, 11k, 123 pitches), finished the season 0-3, 12.00 in his last 3 starts for the Reds...Hunter Greene threw 7.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 8k) in the 7-0 win on 6/6 vs Ari and Ashcraft followed with 6.0 scoreless innings (0bb, 4k) in the 14-8 victory on 6/7 vs Ari...for the first time since 1900, Major League rookie starting pitchers in consecutive games threw at least 6.0 shutout innings without a walk...Greene and Ashcraft comprised the third set of Reds rookie pitchers since 1901 to make consecutive starts of at least 6.0 scoreless innings, joining Mike Regan & Hod Eller in 1917 and Sal Romano & Robert Stephenson in 2017...Over those two starts on 6/6 & 6/7 vs Ari, Greene and Ashcraft became the first Reds starting pitchers to retire 30 consecutive batters since 6/9-6/10, 1979, when Tom Seaver and Paul Moskau retired 35 straight... in the expansion era (since 1961), Greene and Ashcraft are the only rookie starting pitchers of any Major League team to combine to retire at least 30 consecutive batters...Ashcraft became the first Reds pitcher to post an ERA as low as 1.14 through his first four Major League appearances, all starts, since RHP Chris Reitsma had a 1.03 ERA through his first four starts of 2001...Was the first Reds pitcher in 2022 to make three consecutive quality starts (5/27-6/7) and did it in his second, third and fourth career appearances (3-0, 0.47, 19.1ip, 11h, 1er, 3bb, 10k, 1hr, .164baa)...Within his first three career starts threw 13.2 consecutive scoreless innings (1.1ip on 5/22 at Tor, 6.1ip on 5/27 vs SF, 6ip on 6/2 vs Wsh)...Made his Major League debut in the 3-2 win on 5/22 at Tor...replaced in the rotation scheduled starter RHP Connor Overton, who following the previous day’s game was scratched with a stress reaction in his lower back...Ashcraft already was with the team as a substitute player for the series in Toronto...Became the seventh of 12 Reds players to make Major League debuts in 2022, the sixth pitcher and third starting pitcher to debut (Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene)...In the 5-1 win on 5/27 vs SF threw 6.1 scoreless innings for his first Major League victory in his second career start...On the fourth pitch of his start on 7/22 vs StL, to Tommy Edman, threw the fastest pitch of his career at 101.5 miles per hour...Began the season at Louisville (7gs, 3-1, 1.65)...was added to the Taxi Squad prior to the game on 5/18 at Cle...was promoted as a substitute player for the 5/20-5/22 series at Tor...returned to Louisville following that series...without making an appearance for the Bats, on 5/27 rejoined the Reds and spent the rest of the season with Cin...In August, despite just eight starts at Louisville, his fastball was rated by Baseball America the best in the International League...Was a non-roster invitee to 2022 Major League spring training camp, his first...Entered the season rated by Baseball America the ninth-best prospect in the organization.
2021
In just his second professional season was an MiLB.com Organization All-Star, MLB.com's Reds Pitching Prospect of the Year, the Reds' Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June and a three-time league Pitcher of the Week...At Dayton was High-A Central Pitcher of the Week for 5/30-6/5...At Chattanooga was AA South Pitcher of the Week for 6/20-6/26 and 6/27-7/3...In 22 starts combined at the two stops finished 11-4, 3.00 with 1 complete game, a shutout (111ip, 86h, 37bb, 129k, 4hr, 1.11whip, .212baa)...Led or tied all Reds minor league pitchers in wins, starts, complete games and shutouts while ranking third in innings pitched and strikeouts...In an 11-0 Lookouts win on 6/23 vs Rocket City threw a 2-hitter while facing just 28 batters (9ip, 0bb, 8k, 102 pitches)...didn't allow a base runner until Ray-Patrick Didder led off the seventh inning with an infield single...with two outs in the ninth allowed a soft popup single to Torii Hunter, followed by a double play...Entered the season rated by Baseball America the 28th-best prospect in the organization...On 1/19/22 was invited to his first Major League spring training camp.
