Aaron Ashby Bio
Aaron Phillip Ashby, born on May 24, 1998, in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Brewers selected Ashby in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2021. A left-handed pitcher, Ashby has worked both as a starter and as a reliever during his time in the majors.
Ashby is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Andy Ashby, a family connection that helped shape his early interest in the sport. He is married to Avery Ashby. After several years of development in the minor leagues and early major league growing pains, Ashby emerged as a key member of the Milwaukee bullpen.
Early Life and Background
Aaron Phillip Ashby was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where he developed an early love for baseball. He attended Park Hill High School in Kansas City and graduated in 2016. Growing up in a household with a strong baseball connection through his uncle Andy Ashby, who pitched in the major leagues for many seasons, Aaron was exposed to professional baseball from a young age.
After high school, Ashby enrolled at Crowder College, a community college in Neosho, Missouri, where he played college baseball. His performance at Crowder drew the attention of MLB scouts, and the Texas Rangers selected him in the 25th round of the 2017 MLB draft with the 764th overall pick. Ashby chose not to sign with the Rangers and returned to Crowder for another season in order to improve his draft stock.
Path to Baseball
Ashby’s decision to return to Crowder College paid off when the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB draft, with the 125th overall pick. He quickly began working his way through the Brewers’ farm system, making his professional debut with the rookie-level Helena Brewers and also pitching for the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Across 13 games in his first professional season, Ashby posted a 2–3 record with a 3.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
In 2019, Ashby split the year between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the High-A Carolina Mudcats, logging a 5–10 record and a 3.50 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 24 combined appearances. The 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying his development by a year. Ashby was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to begin 2021, where he was shifted to the bullpen in June and posted a 4–1 record with a 4.50 ERA in 12 games before earning his call to the majors.
Aaron Ashby Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Ashby’s professional career began in 2018 after the Brewers drafted him in the fourth round. He pitched for Helena and Wisconsin in his debut season, showing the kind of strikeout ability that would become a hallmark of his career. The following year, he advanced to High-A and continued to miss bats, racking up 135 strikeouts in 24 appearances between Wisconsin and Carolina.
His development was paused in 2020 when the minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, costing Ashby an important year of experience. He returned to action in 2021 with Triple-A Nashville, where the Brewers moved him to the bullpen and he thrived in shorter outings, which set the stage for his first major league opportunity.
MLB Debut and Early Major League Years (2021–2022)
The Brewers promoted Ashby to the major leagues on June 30, 2021, and he made his MLB debut that same day as the starting pitcher against the Chicago Cubs. His first outing was a difficult one, as he recorded only two-thirds of an inning and allowed seven runs, four of them earned. Despite the rough start, Ashby finished his rookie campaign with 13 appearances, including four starts, posting a 3–2 record and a 4.55 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 31 and two-thirds innings pitched.
On July 23, 2022, the Brewers and Ashby agreed on a five-year contract extension that will keep him under contract through the 2027 season, with club options for 2028 and 2029. That season, he made 27 appearances, including 19 starts, but struggled to consistent results and finished 2–10 with a 4.44 ERA and 126 strikeouts over 107 and one-third innings. Still, the Brewers showed long-term faith in his potential.
Injury and Bullpen Transition (2023–2024)
Ashby’s 2023 season was derailed by a left shoulder injury. On February 16, 2023, the Brewers announced that he would miss a couple of months because of left shoulder inflammation, and on April 5, manager Craig Counsell revealed that Ashby would require arthroscopic surgery and was likely to miss the entire season. The long layoff cost Ashby an important development year.
The Brewers optioned Ashby to Triple-A Nashville to open the 2024 season. He was recalled to the majors in August and pitched effectively in a bullpen role, showing that his shoulder had recovered. The transition to relief work appeared to suit him, and he began to rediscover the form that made him a top prospect.
Milwaukee Brewers Bullpen Era (2025)
Going into the 2025 season’s spring training, Ashby was in contention for a spot in the Brewers’ starting rotation. However, a strained oblique kept him from throwing for approximately two weeks and pushed him back into a relief role. Once healthy, he became one of the most reliable arms in the Milwaukee bullpen, logging 66 and two-thirds innings with a 2.16 ERA.
According to FanGraphs, Ashby accumulated 1.1 Wins Above Replacement during the 2025 campaign, a mark that placed him among the top 40 relievers in MLB that season. He helped the Brewers finish with the best record in baseball, cementing his place as a key piece of Milwaukee’s pitching staff.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ashby is a left-handed pitcher who generates swings and misses with a sharp breaking ball and a fastball that plays well against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. His transition to the bullpen has allowed him to focus on shorter outings and maximize his stuff, and his 2025 results suggest he has found a strong fit in a relief role.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ashby’s MLB debut on June 30, 2021, against the Chicago Cubs marked the start of his major league career, and his five-year contract extension signed on July 23, 2022, reflected the Brewers’ long-term belief in his talent. His 2025 breakout season, during which he helped Milwaukee post the best record in baseball, stands as his most significant career milestone to date.
Aaron Ashby Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Aaron Ashby comes from a baseball family and is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Andy Ashby, who spent 14 seasons in the major leagues. That family connection gave Aaron an early understanding of what it takes to pitch at the highest level and helped guide him toward a professional career.
Personal Life
Aaron Ashby is married to Avery Ashby. The couple has been together through his rise from a fourth-round draft pick to a key member of the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a breakout year for Aaron Ashby. Although he entered spring training competing for a rotation spot, a strained oblique redirected him to the bullpen, where he delivered one of the most productive seasons of his career. Over 66 and two-thirds innings in relief, Ashby posted a 2.16 ERA and ranked among the top 40 relievers in MLB with 1.1 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.
His strong performance came at a critical time for the Brewers, who used a deep and effective bullpen to power their run to the best record in baseball. Ashby’s ability to miss bats and keep runs off the board gave Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy a dependable late-inning option. The team’s regular-season success positioned the Brewers as a serious contender heading into the postseason.
With his contract running through 2027 and club options for 2028 and 2029, Ashby is set to remain a central part of Milwaukee’s pitching plans. If his 2025 form carries forward, he could play an even larger role for the Brewers in the seasons ahead, whether as a late-inning reliever or eventually as a starter once again.