Aaron Ashby Bio
Aaron Phillip Ashby is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Brewers selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB draft, and he has pitched in the majors since making his MLB debut in 2021. A left-handed pitcher, Ashby has spent his entire professional career within the Milwaukee organization, working as both a starter and a reliever. He is widely recognized as a key member of the Brewers’ pitching staff and a notable member of a baseball family that includes his uncle, former MLB pitcher Andy Ashby.
Born on May 24, 1998, Ashby grew up in the Kansas City area before pursuing baseball at the collegiate and professional levels. After several seasons of development in the minor leagues, he reached the majors and signed a long-term extension with Milwaukee. His 2025 campaign was widely regarded as a breakout year, helping the Brewers finish with the best record in baseball.
Early Life and Background
Aaron Phillip Ashby was born on May 24, 1998, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He grew up in the Kansas City area and attended Park Hill High School, where he graduated in 2016. His family has deep ties to professional baseball, as he is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Andy Ashby, who spent many seasons in the major leagues. This family connection to the sport helped shape Ashby’s early interest in pitching and gave him a clear model for a professional career.
After high school, Ashby enrolled at Crowder College, a community college in Missouri, where he played college baseball. During his time at Crowder, he drew attention from Major League Baseball scouts. The Texas Rangers selected Ashby in the 25th round, with the 764th overall pick, of the 2017 MLB draft. He chose not to sign with the Rangers and returned to Crowder to continue developing his skills and improve his draft stock.
Path to Baseball
Ashby’s decision to return to Crowder College paid off the following year. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the fourth round, with the 125th overall pick, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He quickly began working his way through the Brewers’ minor league system, making his professional debut with the rookie-level Helena Brewers. He also pitched for the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers that year, posting a cumulative 2–3 record and a 3.59 ERA with 66 strikeouts across 13 games.
In 2019, Ashby split his season between Wisconsin and the High-A Carolina Mudcats, logging a 5–10 record and a 3.50 ERA with 135 strikeouts over 24 appearances. He did not play in a formal game in 2020 because the minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin the 2021 season, the Brewers assigned him to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, where he was shifted to the bullpen in June and recorded a 4–1 record and a 4.50 ERA in 12 appearances, setting the stage for his first major league opportunity.
Aaron Ashby Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
The Milwaukee Brewers promoted Aaron Ashby to the major leagues on June 30, 2021. He made his MLB debut that same day as the starting pitcher against the Chicago Cubs, though the outing was a difficult one in which he recorded only two-thirds of an inning and allowed seven runs, four of them earned. Despite that first 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. During the 2022 season, he made 27 appearances, including 19 starts, registering a 2–10 record and a 4.44 ERA with 126 strikeouts over 107 and one-third innings pitched. His workload as a starter during this period gave him valuable major league experience heading into the next phase of his career.
MLB Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Ashby’s momentum was interrupted in early 2023. On February 16, 2023, the Brewers announced that he would miss a couple of months with left shoulder inflammation. On April 5, 2023, manager Craig Counsell announced that Ashby would require arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and would likely miss the entire 2023 season. He spent the year rehabbing and working toward a return to the mound.
To begin the 2024 season, the Brewers optioned Ashby to Triple-A Nashville. He was called back up to Milwaukee in August and pitched effectively in a bullpen role. This transition to relief work proved important for his long-term development and set the stage for a strong 2025 campaign.
Milwaukee Brewers Era (2025–Present)
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 prevented him from throwing for approximately two weeks during camp. Despite that setback, he returned to the active roster and delivered a breakout 2025 campaign out of the Milwaukee bullpen.
That season, Ashby logged 66 and two-thirds innings pitched with a 2.16 ERA, accumulating 1.1 Wins Above Replacement according to FanGraphs, a figure that placed him among the top 40 relievers in Major League Baseball. His performance helped the Brewers finish the regular season with the best record in baseball, a major milestone for the franchise and a defining accomplishment for Ashby’s role on the team.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most significant milestones of Ashby’s career came on June 30, 2021, when he made his MLB debut as a starting pitcher against the Chicago Cubs. Another key moment was his five-year contract extension agreed to on July 23, 2022, which secured his place in the Milwaukee organization through 2027. In 2025, his standout relief work helped the Brewers achieve the best record in baseball, cementing his status as a core piece of the team’s pitching staff.
Aaron Ashby Career Wins
Throughout his time in the majors, Aaron Ashby has compiled a verified body of work as both a starter and a reliever for the Milwaukee Brewers. While his overall win totals at the MLB level have been modest, his value has come from innings pitched, strikeouts, and run prevention in high-leverage relief situations. Through June 20, 2026, his MLB statistics include a 21–17 win–loss record, a 3.54 earned run average, and 336 strikeouts.
Major League Highlights
In his rookie season of 2021, Ashby posted a 3–2 record across 13 appearances, including four starts, and struck out 39 batters in 31 and two-thirds innings. The following year, he made 27 appearances, including 19 starts, and finished with a 2–10 record and 126 strikeouts over 107 and one-third innings. His 2025 relief campaign stood out as his strongest major league season to that point, highlighted by a 2.16 ERA and recognition as one of the top 40 relievers in baseball by Wins Above Replacement.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLB (Milwaukee Brewers, through June 20, 2026) | 21 | 17 | 336 |
Aaron Ashby Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Aaron Ashby comes from a family with a strong baseball tradition. He is the nephew of Andy Ashby, a former MLB pitcher who spent many seasons in the major leagues. Growing up around the game through his uncle’s career helped shape Aaron’s path toward professional baseball and gave him an early understanding of what it takes to pitch at the highest level.
Personal Life
Aaron Ashby is married to Avery Ashby, and the couple has one son together. He is a Christian. After growing up in the Kansas City area, he has built his professional life around the Milwaukee Brewers organization, where he signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season.
2025 Season Performance
Aaron Ashby’s 2025 season marked a true breakout year in his major league career. After competing for a spot in the Brewers’ starting rotation during spring training, he was slowed by a strained oblique but recovered to contribute in a major way out of the bullpen. Over the course of the regular season, he logged 66 and two-thirds innings with a 2.16 ERA, ranking among the most heavily used relievers on the Milwaukee staff.
His 1.1 Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by FanGraphs, placed him among the top 40 relievers in Major League Baseball for the 2025 season. That production was a key factor in the Brewers finishing the regular season with the best record in baseball, a team accomplishment that highlighted his importance to the club’s overall success. Looking ahead, Ashby remains under contract through 2027 and is expected to remain a central figure in Milwaukee’s pitching plans.
