Ashcraft ditches his rookie number, aiming for sustained success in Pittsburgh's rotation after a promising debut.
Braxton Ashcraft will have a new uniform number this upcoming season, as the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander is switching from No. 67 to No. 35, which he wore as a rookie last year.
Someone jokingly asked Ashcraft last weekend during the team’s fan festival if he changed his number because he got tired of the incessant 6-7 expression used by the TikTokers. Well, Ashcraft wasn’t joking. While Ashcraft is 26, the whole 6-7 craze is as confounding to him as it is to someone who is 62.
"I think that as you transition to more of an established role, you have a little more autonomy of how you present yourself on the field,” Ashcraft said.
In other words, Ashcraft got tired of hearing fans constantly say "6-7" to him. It’s doubtful that many people will inundate Ashcraft with 3-5 chants. Additionally, eight is the favorite number of Ashcraft’s wife, and three plus five equals eight.
Regardless of the number on the back of his jersey, the Pirates would like to see Ashcraft build on his successful rookie season. He made his major league debut on May 26 and went on to have a 4-4 record and 2.71 ERA in 26 games, including eight starts.
"It meant a lot,” Ashcraft said of last season. “You work hard all your life. You have goals, I had goals since I was in tee ball. I always wanted to be a big league pitcher or a baseball player at that. To be able to realize that goal and have some success, some individual success, it was really cool.
“It was cool to see how you're able to recognize the fact that your parents, your family, your whole support system back home, puts so much time, effort, money to follow you around, do all the Little League, travel ball stuff. To see it all pay off is really rewarding."
Ashcraft hasn’t spent too much time reflecting on last season. Spring training starts Feb. 11 in Bradenton, Fla., and Ashcraft is looking forward to building on his rookie success rather than resting on it.
However, Ashcraft admits this offseason has felt different, as he is likely to start the season in the rotation alongside reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Bubba Chandler.
"I think that whenever you go into an offseason in the minor leagues, you're always pressing towards that ultimate goal of reaching the big leagues,” Ashcraft said. “The difference this year is I've been in the big leagues, had some success. There's a little bit of comfort that comes with that, but also there's a lot of different pressure that comes with it.
“You have to come into the next season better than you left the last, if not just the same. That's pretty tough. It's tough to take time off and get back into stuff and not skip a beat. That's part of being a professional. It's part of the job description. Just making that a priority every day makes it a little bit easier."