The Pirates announced they’ve added right-hander Braxton Ashcraft and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the 40-man roster. Pittsburgh’s roster count now sits at 39.
Ashcraft, 24, was a second-round pick out of a Texas high school in 2018. The 6’5″ hurler has moved slowly through the minors. The canceled season cost him a development year in 2020. He subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery and barely pitched from 2021-22. Ashcraft returned to the mound this past season, logging 52 2/3 innings through 19 starts. He posted a 2.39 ERA while striking out just under 30% of opposing hitters against a tidy 5.2% walk rate.
Baseball America recently slotted Ashcraft as the #10 prospect in the Bucs’ system, praising a four-pitch arsenal. Cheng slotted just above him, ranking ninth on that list. A native of Taiwan, he’s a 5’7″ middle infielder. As one would expect given his size, the left-handed hitter draws more praise for his contact skills and athleticism than huge power upside. He split the season between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, faring far better at the former stop. Between the two affiliates, Cheng hit .278/.353/.456 with 12 homers and 26 stolen bases. He struck out just 18.7% of the time while drawing walks at a 9.7% clip.
