Pirates Honor Bubba Chandler for 2025 Campaign

Bubba Chandler Has Great Start with Indianapolis

Pirates fans eagerly awaited Chandler and how long it would take him to make it up to Pittsburgh, but he started off with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Chandler dominated early on at Triple-A, with just 11 earned runs allowed through his first 11 starts, which eventually made him the top pitching prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

This featured his start on May 24 vs. the Toledo Mudhens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, where he brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finishing with 6.1 innings pitched.

Struggles Befall Chandler During Time at Triple-A

Chandler struggled throughout the month of June, posting an 8.53 ERA over five starts and 12.2 innings pitched, with 12 earned runs allowed, 12 walks to 11 strikeouts, a .309 opposing batting average and a 2.29 WHIP.

He bounced back with two of his better starts in 2025, throwing six scoreless innings on both July 4 and July 10, with 13 combined strikeouts.

Chandler then had issues with command, giving up at least two earned runs in each of his final six outings with Indianapolis.

He posted a 7.56 ERA over that time, with 22 earned runs allowed over 26.2 innings pitched, 37 hits and 28 strikeouts to 16 walks, with an opposing batting average over .300.

Chandler finished his time with Indianapolis with a 5-6 record over 24 starts at Indianapolis this season, a 4.05 ERA over 100.0 innings pitched, 121 strikeouts to 53 walks, a .250 opposing batting average and a 1.48 WHIP.

His strikeouts ranked the most for any Pirates pitcher in the minors and were the third most for any pitcher at the Triple-A level.

Chandler Dominates Early on With Pirates

The Pirates eventually called up Chandler from Triple-A on Aug. 22, where he spent the rest of the season with.

Chandler excelled in his MLB debut vs. the Colorado Rockies that same day, throwing four scoreless innings of relief in a save in the 9-0 win for the Pirates.

He became the first player in MLB history to throw a scoreless four-inning save in his debut, and the first Pirates pitcher to throw a four-inning save in his debut.

Chandler then threw four more scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 27, earning his first MLB win. He became the first Pirates pitcher that earned a save and a win in their first two MLB outings.

He came out of the bullpen again vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on Sept. 2, where he gave up two home runs and three earned runs over four innings, but still earned his second victory in the 9-7 victory.

Chandler made his first MLB start vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 7 and had his worst outing of the season, giving up nine earned runs over 2.2 innings in the 10-2 defeat.

He bounced back the rest of the campaign, with just six hits, no walks and two earned runs allowed over his final three starts and 16.2 innings with 19 strikeouts.

Chandler also threw five perfect innings vs. the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Sept. 13, before giving up two hits and a run. The Pirates would go on and win that contest, 5-1, giving Chandler a no-decision.

He finished his first stint with the Pirates with a 4-1 record over seven appearances and four stats, a 4.02 ERA over 31.1 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts to four walks, a .214 opposing batting average and a 0.93 WHIP.