Aaron Ashby’s postseason dominance could soon reach eclipse that of former Guardians great 

While the Cleveland Guardians weren’t able to get the job done in the 2016 postseason, it provided the baseball world with a first-hand look at Andrew Miller at the height of his powers. 

Miller finished that postseason with a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings with 30 strikeouts that started with 16 straight scoreless innings. 

That currently stands as the best start to a postseason for an individual pitcher, though there’s a chance it could get eclipsed tonight by Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby, who is in the midst of a 15 2/3 scoreless streak that could grow tonight in Game 3 of the World Series. 

Ashby may be at a different point in his career than Miller while carrying a different meaning for his team, his performance this postseason could be the thing that finally dethrones Miller from having the best October relief performance. 

Aaron Ashby is in the middle of a postseason that rivals Andrew Miller’s 

It’s hard to overstate how good Miller was in that 2026 postseason. It didn’t matter what inning or situation it was, Terry Francona had no problem calling on Miller to put out a fire. And for the first 16 innings of that postseason, Miller did exactly that, as he held the opposition scoreless until he surrendered a solo home run to Dexter Fowler. 

HIs next appearance came in Game 7 of the World Series when he allowed two runs over 2 1/3 innings. 

While Miller was known for a wipeout slider that made hitters look foolish, Ashby primarily relies on his sinker and curveball (though he does have a slider that he primarily throws to lefties). 

He’s also more of a length option, which makes sense considering he’s just four years removed from working as a full-time starter. 

All but one of Ashby’s eight postseason appearances have been for more than one inning, with the crown jewel being his three inning save against the Dodgers in Milwaukee’s NLCS clinching win over the Dodgers. He also worked three innings in the Brewers’ win over the Padres in Game 4 of the NLDS. 

But perhaps the biggest indication of Ashby dominance came on Saturday in Game 2 of the World Series when he closed out the Brewers' win with a 1 2/3 innings despite normal closer Trevor Megill being available. Ashby surrendered a leadoff double to Jonny DeLuca but got the next three batters out to secure the win. 

Pat Murphy had his closer ready and warming, but elected to stick with a pitcher who was on his second inning of work. Sound familiar? 

This year’s postseason may be a tough watch for some Guardians fans given the number of former players fighting for a championship, but Ashby’s dominance is a fun reminder of just how good Miller was a decade ago. 

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