Graham Ashcraft is expected to be one of the Cincinnati Reds best pitchers this season. As he gets ready for Reds Opening Day, Ashcraft has turned his game up to another level.

Ashcraft was forced to leave a recent Reds Spring Training game. However, it was revealed he was just cramping up and that he should be good to go in the coming days. Before he went down, Ashcraft pitched 2.1 innings of one run baseball. The right-hander felt more natural on the mound and that his stuff was starting to get back up to speed, via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Things are starting to click,” Ashcraft said. “It's nice to see (100 MPH) back. I'm right where I needed to be.

Ashcraft ended up taking the loss as the Dodgers defeated the Reds 8-1. However, he struck out six batters in his 2.1 innings of work. He allowed just four hits and walked one. It was a stark improvement for Ashcraft. Assuming his cramps surpass, Ashcraft is expected to open the season in the middle of the Reds' rotation.

Graham Ashcraft made his MLB debut for the Reds this past season, starting 19 games for Cincinnati. He racked up a 5-6 record with a 4.89 ERA and a 71/30 K/BB ratio.

Before making the bigs, Ashcraft was a top prospect for Cincinnati. He ranked in the team's top 20 prospects in 2021, via MLB Pipeline. Over 44 games at the minor league level, Ashcraft pitched to a 16-11 record with a 3.33 ERA and a 230/76 K/BB ratio.

Ashcraft's calling card is his power. It appears that he is reaching full strength at Spring Training. The Reds will hope Ashcraft will carry over his progress into the regular season.