Braxton Ashcraft Pitching Matchup & Analysis (August 24th)

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Braxton Ashcraft Pitching Matchup & Analysis (August 24th)

Originally posted on TWSN | By Steve Bradshaw | Last updated Aug 24, 2026 12:55 PM ET

Braxton Ashcraft has been overshadowed by Paul Skenes in the past, but he’s put together two very strong seasons to start his MLB career.

As a rookie, Ashcraft pitched in 69.2 innings, where he had a 2.71 ERA and 2.0 WAR. Although Ashcraft’s ERA has gone up in 2026, that’s to be expected as his workload has increased as well.

Ashcraft and the Pittsburgh Pirates look to take on the San Diego Padres at 9:40 PM ET today.

Pittsburgh Pirates Probable Starter: Braxton Ashcraft

Ashcraft has pitched 149.1 innings this year, making 25 starts so far. While Ashcraft has seen his ERA increase as mentioned above, it’s at 3.68, and he has 3.0 WAR. It should also be noted that Ashcraft made his first-ever All-Star Game in 2026.

All-Star Ashcraft has a nice ring to it.

Congrats to Braxton on being named a 2026 MLB All-Star! pic.twitter.com/AazD5keNjb
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 7, 2026

Along with those other numbers, Ashcraft has a 1.078 WHIP, 13-5 record, 159 strikeouts, and only 33 walks. This season, Ashcraft has a pitching run value of 11, ranking in the 82nd percentile (Baseball Savant).

San Diego Padres Probable Starter: Robbie Ray

The Padres have a 2025 All-Star in this one, Robbie Ray. While Ray is now 34 years old, he’s still productive.

This season, Ray has a 3.20 ERA, 2.3 WAR, 1.315 WHIP, a 11-7 record, 117 strikeouts, and 68 walks. Ray has a very good pitching run value this year as well at seven (72nd percentile).

Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Diego Padres Game 1 Location (August 24th)

Braxton Ashcraft will be pitching on the road (Petco Park) in this one. Ashcraft has a 3.87 road ERA with a 7-4 record (76.2 innings) this year, while Robbie Ray has a 2.68 ERA and a 6-2 record in 74 innings.

This article first appeared on TWSN and was syndicated with permission.

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