Aaron Ashby is putting together the kind of October run that puts him in the same breath as one of the most dominant relievers the Guardians have ever seen.
Andrew Miller’s 2016 postseason remains the standard. He threw 19 1/3 innings with a 1.40 ERA and 30 strikeouts, opening that run with 16 straight scoreless innings - still the best start to a postseason by any individual pitcher.
Now Ashby, working for the Brewers, is pushing that mark into real danger. He has a 15 2/3-inning scoreless streak heading into Game 3 of the World Series, and another clean outing would move him even closer to the top.
What makes Ashby’s run stand out is that he’s doing it in a different role and with a different arsenal. Miller was the classic late-inning hammer, a pitcher Terry Francona could summon in any situation to snuff out trouble.
Ashby leans more on his sinker and curveball, with a slider he mostly uses against lefties. He’s also being deployed as more of a length arm, which fits a pitcher who is just four years removed from working as a full-time starter.
That versatility has shown up all postseason. Seven of Ashby’s eight appearances have lasted more than one inning. He delivered three innings in Milwaukee’s NLCS-clinching win over the Dodgers, then went three more in the Brewers’ Game 4 win over the Padres in the NLDS.
The most striking example came in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday. With regular closer Trevor Megill available, Pat Murphy still stuck with Ashby to finish off the Brewers’ win. Ashby allowed a leadoff double to Jonny DeLuca, then retired the next three hitters to lock it down in 1 2/3 innings.
Murphy had his closer warming, but trusted the pitcher who was already into his second inning of work. That’s the kind of usage that brings Miller’s 2016 run to mind.
For Guardians fans, this postseason can be a rough one to watch with so many former players chasing a title. But Ashby’s stretch is also a sharp reminder of just how overwhelming Miller was a decade ago - and how rare it is for a reliever to own October like this.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Lost Another Behind The Scenes Voice Rivals Keep Poaching
The Guardians are losing another one of the behind-the-scenes people who helped shape their offensive program, as Conner Watson is headed to Houston to become the Astros director of hitting. Watson spent the past two seasons as Clevelands assistant director of hitting development, and his move is the latest reminder that the organizations player development work keeps getting noticed well beyond Progressive Field.
Chris Antonetti has already acknowledged the staff turnover, and in some ways that comes with the territory for a club whose development pipeline is routinely viewed as a strength. Still, it is the kind of loss that matters, because these roles influence how hitters are identified, coached and pushed forward before they ever become everyday names in Cleveland. The Guardians have built a reputation other teams want to borrow from, but keeping the people who built it together is proving to be a challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Regret Letting These Prospects Slip Away
Clevelands farm system has already produced enough intriguing names to keep tabs on, and a few former Guardians prospects are beginning to look like more than background pieces in other organizations. Juan Brito, Jacob Cozart and Josh Hartle all moved on in separate trades, and each has taken a step that suggests the move may end up benefiting their new clubs as much as it cost Cleveland. Brito landed with the Reds and flashed promise in a limited look, while Cozarts strong Double-A showing for the Angels has put him on a path toward a possible big league debut.
Hartle may be the most interesting of the three because of the role he could eventually fill for Washington. He has been effective at Double-A and looks the part of a pitcher the Nationals can build around in the near future, which only adds to the sense that Cleveland may have parted with more upside than it realized. None of these deals is decided today, but by 2027 the Guardians could be looking at three former prospects becoming useful major leaguers somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Built Something Special With These Two Young Arms
The Guardians have spent years trying to assemble a homegrown pitching core that can carry them beyond one good season, and Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are making that plan look a lot more realistic. Williams emerged as one of the most overpowering arms in the American League, leading the league in strikeouts and carrying that stuff into the postseason, while Messick put together a strong regular season that put him squarely in the Rookie of the Year conversation.
What makes the pairing so intriguing for Cleveland is that both pitchers came through the organizations development pipeline, giving the front office a chance to imagine a rotation anchored from within rather than pieced together from the outside. Williams already looks like the sort of frontline starter who can headline October games, and Messicks rapid rise only deepens the sense that the Guardians may have more than one future ace on their hands. [Read more 🡒]