Aaron Ashby

Aaron Phillip Ashby (born May 24, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Brewers chose Ashby in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut in 2021.

Career Ashby attended Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated in 2016. He enrolled at Crowder College, a public community college, where he played college baseball. The Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Ashby in the 25th round, with the 764th overall selection, of the 2017 MLB draft. He did not sign with the Rangers and returned to Crowder.

The Milwaukee Brewers selected Ashby in the fourth round, with the 125th overall selection, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut with the rookie-level Helena Brewers, and also played for the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, posting a cumulative 2–3 record with one save and a 3.59 ERA with 66 strikeouts over 13 games. In 2019, Ashby split the season between Wisconsin and the High-A Carolina Mudcats, logging a 5–10 record and 3.50 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 24 appearances between the two affiliates.

Ashby did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to begin the 2021 season. Ashby was shifted to the bullpen in June, and recorded a 4–1 record and 4.50 ERA in 12 games for the team.

The Brewers promoted Ashby to the major leagues on June 30, 2021. Ashby made his MLB debut that day as the starting pitcher against the Chicago Cubs. In his debut, he went of an inning and allowed seven runs, four earned. At the end of his rookie campaign, Ashby made 13 appearances (four starts), and logged a 3–2 record with one save and a 4.55 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 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. He made 27 appearances (19 starts) for Milwaukee in 2022, registering a 2–10 record with one save and a 4.44 ERA with 126 strikeouts over innings pitched in which he had 7 wild pitches (9th in the league). On April 5, manager Craig Counsell announced that Ashby would require arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, and would likely miss the entire 2023 season. In 2023, pitching for the Nashville Sounds, Biloxi Shuckers, and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, he was 0-3 with a 15.43 ERA in 7 games. He was called back up to the Brewers in August and pitched well in a bullpen role, as he was 1-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 14 games in which he pitched 28.1 innings, striking out 33 batters.

Going into the 2025 season's spring training, Ashby was in contention for a spot in the Brewers' starting rotation. However, he suffered a strained oblique that would prevent him from throwing for approximately two weeks.

In a breakout 2025 campaign, Ashby in 43 games had among the most innings pitched out of the Brewers bullpen (66.2) with a 2.16 ERA — accumulating 1.1 Wins Above Replacement according to Fangraphs, among the top 40 relievers in the MLB that season — as he helped his team finish with the best record in baseball.

Personal life Aaron is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Andy Ashby. He is married to Avery Ashby. They have one son together. Ashby is a Christian.