The Brewers restructured rotation may gain advantage from the addition of Aaron Ashby.
Because the staff goes into 2025, there are sufficient arms to fill out the rotation with out a splash in free company. But when they will put collectively a bunch that might outline the Brewers as preseason favorites, that requires the upside of a younger, budding starter breaking out. DL Corridor and Ashby each might fill the function, however Ashby’s efficiency in 2024 might show a promising steppingstone for him to safe an Opening Day spot.
Ashby didn’t pitch in 2023 and was restricted to simply 28 1⁄3 innings in 2024. That small workload each leaves us with questions regarding how a lot to learn into his outcomes, in addition to how far the Brewers might push Ashby in the event that they did use him as a starter. He was wonderful within the bullpen, so it might make sense to make use of him as an extended reliever, however his efficiency might warrant a return to the rotation.
Whereas accidents and workload are at all times a priority with pitching, focusing simply on the outcomes, Ashby’s efficiency was extremely encouraging after a missed season. He pitched to a 2.86 ERA with a formidable 10.48 Ok/9. Nevertheless, his 3.18 BB/9 would have ranked forty sixth of 58 certified starters. The walks don’t match into the best profile for a starter, nevertheless it isn’t a whole non-starter, particularly with nice strikeout stuff.
His changeup, curveball, and slider have been all efficient weapons. Every pitch registered a whiff charge of not less than 37%. When the batters managed to hit the ball, they didn’t do a lot injury as Ashby held batters to a .208 anticipated batting common towards his total arsenal.
This 12 months noticed a large group of pitchers within the Milwaukee rotation that didn’t supply quite a lot of upside. Pitchers like Colin Rea, Aaron Civale, Joe Ross, and Frankie Montas all crammed their function in serving to the staff to a different division crown, however they weren’t going to be the kind of pitcher you’re excited to see on the mound in a playoff sport.
If the Brewers insert a pitcher like Ashby into the rotation, it immediately offers the group some high-end potential.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs except in any other case famous.
