Fox Sports accidentally fueled the Pirates disrespect narrative with one mistake

The Pittsburgh Pirates already had a legitimate gripe with the 2026 MLB All-Star selections. Fox Sports just managed to pour gasoline on it.

In Rowan Kavner’s article on this year's All-Star snubs, the Pirates were represented by a tandem snub of Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds. Both have both built strong All-Star cases, and Kavner correctly pointed out that Lowe leads all National League second basemen in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage, while Reynolds ranks fourth among qualified NL players in on-base percentage.

But then came the mistake Pirates fans were never going to let slide.

“Based on first-half performances, you could argue that Lowe, Reynolds and Graham Ashcraft were the Pirates’ most deserving All-Stars,” Kavner wrote.

Oof.

That would be Braxton Ashcraft — the Pirates starting pitcher who has quietly put together one of the better first halves in the National League. Graham Ashcraft, meanwhile, is a high-leverage reliever for the Cincinnati Reds who is currently on the 60-day injured list with a right UCL sprain.

It was almost certainly an honest mistake. But that's also exactly why Pirates fans found it so frustrating. When a player is having the type of season Braxton Ashcraft is having and still can't get his name right in an All-Star snubs article, it only reinforces the idea that Pittsburgh’s best players aren't being watched closely enough.

Braxton Ashcraft's All-Star case is impossible to ignore after another dominant start for Pirates

Ashcraft gave another reminder Saturday against the Washington Nationals, delivering 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball while striking out seven. Only 10 qualified pitchers in the National League have a lower ERA than Ashcraft’s 3.24, and only six have more quality starts than his 10.

Ashcraft also has 122 strikeouts on the season, trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski and the Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez. After Saturday’s start, Ashcraft is worth 2.9 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. Among National League pitchers, only Misiorowski and Sánchez are worth more fWAR, with Ashcraft tied with Jesús Luzardo and Chase Burns.

Paul Skenes making the NL All-Star team is understandable. Even amid a tougher stretch, he remains one of the sport’s premier talents and one of MLB’s biggest draws. But Skenes is scheduled to start next Sunday in the final game before the break, which would knock him out of pitching in the All-Star Game and force a replacement onto the National League roster.

The Pirates have several deserving candidates. Lowe and Reynolds belong in that conversation. So does Braxton Ashcraft. And after Fox Sports accidentally called him the wrong name, the case for getting him to the All-Star Game only feels louder.

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