Former Reds Starter Having Career-Year Out of the Bullpen

When discussing the 2025 Cincinnati Reds, one must recognize the bullpen's strong performance. The unit has been among the top 10 in the majors so far, with multiple players enduring career years. However, few have been as surprising as the emergence of Graham Ashcraft.

In his first year out of the bullpen, the 27-year-old righty has been reborn. He's eliminated his sinker and changeup from his arsenal, relying only on his cutter and slider. Ashcraft is striking out more batters and giving up less hard contact. All on his way to pitching 16.1 innings - the most of any Reds reliever entering May 5th. 

In his 13 appearances, Ashcraft has surrendered just four runs, three of which came on May 3rd. This marks the first year he's found success in the majors as a strikeout artist, as his 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings far surpass his 6.6 career average. His poise on the mound far exceeds that of years past, as he's made up for the increase in walks.

One of the biggest changes for Ashcraft this season has been in his windup. In years past, he's arm angle on his release has sat between 48-49 degrees. Whereas this season, he's raised it to 55 degrees. To many, it may not seem like a major difference, but for the reliever, it has allowed for more velocity and a higher whiff percentage.

In over one month as a reliever, Aschraft has developed into a lockdown option for the Reds on any given day. Time will tell how he fares in the role long-term or if he may eventually get another shot at the rotation. For now, the Reds have to be thrilled at his turnaround, as Ashcraft remains under team control until 2029. 

Related: Reds Face Challenge to Replicate Production of Austin Hays