Why Ashby's run as Brewers' fireman is reaching historic heights

With each resounding victory, these relentless, history-making Brewers are wading one step further into uncharted territory. And with each scoreless appearance out of the bullpen, left-hander Aaron Ashby -- manager Pat Murphy's most dependable arm -- is doing the same.

Milwaukee is off to the World Series for the first time since 1982, when Harvey’s Wallbangers fell one game shy of capturing the World Series title that has long eluded the franchise. The Cardinals won it all that year, buoyed by the likes of Hall of Fame righty Bruce Sutter. The relief ace turned the Brewers aside with 2 1/3 scoreless frames to close Game 2 and two perfect innings to seal Game 7.

Sutter made a living out of multi-inning appearances. Despite never starting a game in his career, Sutter eclipsed the 100-inning mark five separate times. Sutter's 1982 postseason is one of 73 instances in baseball history of a pitcher making at least four appearances of more than three outs without allowing a run in a single postseason.

Ashby does not have Sutter's pedigree. But he is doing a flawless fireman impression this fall.

The 28-year-old closed out the National League Championship Series with three scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium to vanquish the back-to-back defending champs. In doing so, Ashby became the fifth player to record a three-plus-inning save in a series clincher since saves became an official stat in 1969.

Ashby also threw three scoreless innings in Game 4 of the NLDS, helping vault the Brewers past the Padres. In the World Series, Ashby will vie to join former Giants longman Yusmeiro Petit (2014) as the only pitchers with three separate outings of 3+ innings without allowing a run in a single postseason.

Already, Ashby is one of just six relievers to pitch at least 10 scoreless innings across their first six appearances in a single postseason. It’s a group headlined by Goose Gossage, one of baseball’s most accomplished firemen. Gossage is the frontman of a bygone era of leverage relievers who entered the game whenever the situation demanded, regardless of the inning.

These were not your typical one-inning closers. Gossage himself recorded more than three outs in 12 of his 19 career playoff appearances. Three of those came in the 1981 ALDS against the Brewers -- then in the American League -- when Gossage pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, including two spotless frames to close the series in Game 5.

The group also includes Andrew Miller, who shattered longstanding notions of how aggressively clubs ought to deploy their best relievers in October. Miller's high usage -- and elite performance -- in the 2016 postseason with Cleveland conjured images of Gossage, Sutter and other firemen from the '70s and '80s. It was not new, but it was new for the contemporary game.

Miller recorded at least four outs in all 10 of his relief outings that postseason. No other player has recorded 4+ outs more than nine times in a single postseason in baseball history. But Miller took the mound whenever Terry Francona needed him, pitching as early as the fifth inning and as late as the ninth inning.

Miller recorded at least four outs without allowing a run in eight separate appearances, the most in a single postseason. Ashby has done that five times so far this postseason.

Through six appearances -- so, every outing for Ashby in these playoffs and the first six for Miller in 2016 -- the two pitchers have rather similar lines.

• Miller: 11.2 IP / zero runs / five hits / two walks / 21 strikeouts
• Ashby: 12.1 IP / zero runs / four hits / three walks / 11 strikeouts

Both pitchers allowed seven baserunners across their first six appearances. Cleveland went 6-0 through Miller's first six appearances in the '16 playoffs; the Brewers are undefeated this postseason when Ashby gets in a game.

In fact, including the postseason, Milwaukee has won 25 of the 28 games in which Ashby has recorded more than three outs in 2026.

"I guess that's what happens when a starter converts to a reliever, right?" Brewers closer Trevor Megill said after Milwaukee's Game 4 triumph. "They go a long way."

Like Miller, Ashby came up through the Minor Leagues as a starting pitcher. He arrived to the Majors in 2021 as the Brewers’ latest big-time pitching prospect, following in the footsteps of Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff. But left shoulder surgery sidelined Ashby for all of the 2023 season, and he spent much of 2024 in Triple-A trying to recoup his velocity. When Milwaukee summoned Ashby back to the Majors in August ‘24, he returned as a reliever. And he’s been there ever since.

Since the start of the 2025 season, Ashby has made 118 regular-season appearances. Only two have come as a starter. He has logged 156 innings in that span, eighth most among primary relievers. Ashby recorded more than three outs in 23 of his 75 appearances this season; he was unscored upon in 16 of those 23.

“I spent so much time not contributing to this team,” Ashby said in May. “... I just kind of realized how sweet it is to be here and the value of contributing in really effective ways.”

Well, how is he doing it?

That's the other part of the equation here. Not only has Ashby pitched a lot; he's been utterly dominant.

Let's take a look at the four pitches leading the way.

Two-seam fastball

Ashby’s dominance begins with his two-seamer, which averages 97.7 mph. That’s four full ticks faster than the average sinker from a left-handed pitcher (93.4 mph), and the fifth fastest by a left-handed pitcher in 2026, among those to throw at least 100 sinkers.

Curveball

Ashby throws his two-seamer 52% of the time. But his curveball may actually be his signature pitch. Ashby's curveball drops 7.8 inches more than comparable curveballs, or those with a similar release point and velo. Even though Ashby throws from a high slot -- which lends itself to big breaking balls -- his curveball is firm (83.9 mph). The harder a pitch is thrown, the less time it has to drop on the way to the plate. But Ashby's is hard and has a ton of drop.

That's a pretty good formula for success. Among qualified curveballs, only Tyler Glasnow induces a higher swing-and-miss rate than Ashby.

Changeup

Many high-leverage arms are two-pitch pitchers. Just look at Ashby's teammates, Megill (fastball/curveball) and Abner Uribe (sinker/slider). Not Ashby, though. He has still retained a four-pitch mix from his days as a starting pitcher.

Through six postseason appearances, Ashby is throwing his changeup 17.0% of the time. That's his highest usage rate in a single month since converting to a full-time reliever in 2024. It's a particularly hard pitch (91.9 mph) that looks like the two-seamer out of his hand, a component of deception that helps the pitch play up.

Slider

All three of Ashby's non-fastball offerings induced a whiff rate above 50% in the regular season: the curveball (50.9%), the changeup (50.9%) and the slider (57.5%). Ashby uses his slider almost exclusively to left-handed batters. And, like his curveball, the bottom falls out of the pitch. It averages more vertical break than all but four qualified sliders, compared to those with similar velo and release point.