Pirates' Bubba Chandler Dominates Again

This marks his fifth scoreless start of the season and his fourth with at least four innings pitched. He is now down to a 2.03 ERA over 48 2/3 innings pitched, with just 11 earned runs allowed so far.

Chandler most recently pitched six no-hit innings in his last start against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, on May 24.

He's among the best pitchers in the International League, as he's tied for first with a 12.76 K/9, second in ERA and third with 69 strikeouts.

Chandler is the Pirates' top-rated prospect and MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 2 in baseball as he gets closer to making it to the MLB.

The Pirates took Chandler out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Ga. with the No. 72 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

They would sign him for an overslot bonus of $3 million, convincing him to forgo his commitment to Clemson for both football and baseball.

He came out of high school as one of the top two-way players in his draft class, but transitioned fully to starting pitching once he reached Single-A Bradenton in 2022.

Chandler spent almost all of his time in 2023 with High-A Greensboro, with a 9-4 record in 24 starts, a 4.75 ERA over 106.0 innings pitched, 120 strikeouts to 51 walks and a .265 oppposing batting average.

He made it to Double-A Altoona late that season, but mostly pitched there in 2024 with a 6-7 record over 19 appearances and 16 starts. Chandler posted a 3.70 ERA over 80 1/3 innings with 94 strikeouts to 26 walks and an opposing batting average of .192 during that stretch.

Chandler then earned his promotion to Triple-A on Aug. 8 and dominated with a 4-0 record in seven starts. He had a 1.83 ERA over 39 1/3 innings pitched, 54 strikeouts to 15 walks and an opposing batting average of .183.