Round #2 - Texas Prep Pitcher Braxton Ashcraft

With the 51st pick, the Pirates took righty Braxton Ashcraft from Robinson HS, Texas. An athletic 18-year-old, Ashcraft has the Bucco build at 6'5", 195 lbs and he's not scrawny; he was a record-setting All-State wide receiver in high school. His bread-and-butter is a sinking heater that sits at 90-95 and a slider; he also plays with a change. Brax finished his senior year with an 11-1 record and 103 strikeouts in 70-1/3 innings. He was expected to go tomorrow in the draft in the third or fourth round, so he is a bit of a stretch. There's a big drop in pool money from this round to the next, so it's likely the Pirates wanted to have a little more cash to wave at him.

Braxton Ashcraft (photo: Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune)

Concerns: He's a Baylor commit, and told the local TV station that it would cost to get him to give up being a Bear. The Bucs have an allotment of $1,382,400 for this round.

Perfect Game Scouting Report: "Braxton Ashcraft is a RHP/3B with a long and loose athletic body, outstanding physical projection. Long arm action in back, extended 3/4's arm slot creates angle. Fastball to 95 mph, gets heavy sinking action down in the zone. Very nice change up with feel and arm speed. Throws both a slider and a change up, slider better pitch at present with tight spin and sharp lane changing life, curveball a 10/4 sweeper with some depth. Has a feel for spinning the ball and changing speeds. Has a chance to be really, really good with normal physical projection. Good student, verbal commitment to Baylor."