Pittsburgh Pirates Promote Top Pitching Prospect Bubba Chandler to Double-A

The Pirates selected Chandler in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft, although he notably didn't take the mound until 2022. Instead, Chandler played shortstop in his debut campaign before becoming a two-way player by tossing 41.1 innings and racking up 124 plate appearances the following year.

Management told Chandler he would be used exclusively as a pitcher this season, though, and that figures to remain the case moving forward. In his minor league career, Chandler is a .189 hitter with a .693 OPS.

MLB.com has Chandler's tools graded at 60 fastball, 55 curveball, 55 slider, 50 changeup, 50 control and 50 overall.

Twelve of the Pirates' top 15 prospects are pitchers, with reigning No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes standing out as the highest-ranked of the bunch. Skenes is the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, while Jared Jones comes in at No. 70, Anthony Solometo is slotted at No. 85 and Quinn Priester is ranked at No. 93.

Chandler, meanwhile, is on the outside looking into the Top 100 for the time being, but that can all change with a breakout performance in his Double-A debut Friday.

First pitch between Altoona and Harrisburg that night is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.