Alabama Baseball Transfer Breakdown: Ashton Crowther

The summer transfer window may have closed, but that does not mean players who entered the portal prior to the deadline are barred from committing after it. On Thursday, Alabama received a transfer pledge from former South Carolina left-hander Ashton Crowther via Instagram.

Crowther will be joining his third school in three seasons. He is 3-6 with a career 5.86 earned run average across one-year stints with Miami (Fla.) and the Gamecocks. Crowther made seven starts in 2024, pitching to an overall 7.36 ERA in 15 total contests.

His innings total at South Carolina this year was almost identical (36.2 in 2024, 37 in 2025). The southpaw made four more appearances and lowered his ERA to 4.38. Crowther struck out 28 batters in both his collegiate seasons to date.

The Gamecocks did not give him as many starts as the Hurricanes did. Crowther took the ball first in only two games during the first season of Paul Mainieri's tenure in Columbia. Alabama may not have had starting Crowther in mind either, based on the directions it has taken to reload on the mound via the portal.

One big thing that worked in Crowther's favor this spring was a reduced walk rate. He issued 29 in Coral Gables but slashed that number to 10 as a Gamecock. With virtually the same workload, that shows improvement in locating pitches and working within the strike zone.

The Crimson Tide coaching staff wanted several relievers to augment its incoming transfer group. Crowther fits that mold when it comes to the 2026 roster. While the team's rotation is going to be hit by this weekend's MLB Draft, the hope is that returning players will join the transfers.

Crowther's planned role next spring appears to be as part of the squad's relief corps. That's where he was able to take steps forward this past season despite transferring into the SEC, and that year of experience on the bump makes a difference when facing the league's stiff competition.