Pirates To Promote Top Prospect Bubba Chandler for MLB Debut

The 22-year-old has experienced some statistical fall-off as the summer months have come around, as his ERA is up over 5.00 since the beginning of June, and his walk rate is elevated. Even though his Triple-A is up to 4.05 this year, Chandler is still punching out just under 11 batters per nine innings and it’s important to note that he was utterly dominant at the Triple-A level prior to this recent rough patch.

All told, he’s 5-6 this year with a 4.05 ERA across 24 starts and 100 innings of work. He’s got 121 strikeouts (10.9 K/9), 53 walks (4.8 BB/9) and has surrendered eight home runs on the season, with five of them coming in his last six starts.

Also relayed by Hiles, it sounds like Chandler will begin his MLB career as a multi-inning relief pitcher, but it appears the Pirates are open to him making starts at some point this season and is still viewed as a starter long-term.

Once Chandler makes his move to the starting-five, he’ll slot in alongside Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, and Mike Burrows to form a decent rotation. The Pirates are 53-74 and nowhere near contention, but having a solid foundation in place for their next competitive team’s rotation will be a strong step in the right direction.

Bubba Chandler Scouting Report

For more on Chandler and what fans can expect from him this year and next, check out Aram’s scouting report on Pittsburgh’s future staff ace:

Bubba Chandler – RHP – Pittsburgh Pirates

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | 3rd Round (72), 2021 (PIT) | ETA: 2025

Drafted as a two-way prospect who also boasted Power Five offers as a quarterback, Chandler has blossomed quickly as he has focused on pitching, with his athleticism more than evident. Command woes in Triple-A have delayed his MLB debut.

Check out our conversation with Bubba Chandler!

Arsenal

Athletic with elite arm speed, Chandler’s fastball explodes out of his hand with good carry. An easy plus heater, it sits 95-97 MPH, flirting with triple digits while averaging more than 18 inches of induced vertical break. The strong pitch characteristics have helped Chandler pick up elite whiff and chase numbers, especially at the top of the zone.

Working off of Chandler’s lively heater is a plus changeup with late arm side fade. His ability to maintain his arm speed makes it difficult for hitters to differentiate from the fastball. Opponents hit below .150 against the pitch with a ground ball rate north of 50%. He will predominantly throw it to lefties, but it is a good enough pitch to bury in on right-handed hitters.

The third offering for Chandler is gyro slider in the upper 80s. The pitch became more effective for him as he started to throw it harder as it tunnels well off of his fastball to righties. While it’s not a huge swing and miss pitch, Chandler gets a lot of contact on the ground with it.

Rounding things out for Chandler is a curveball in the low 80s that he initially used as an early strike stealer, predominantly to lefties, but he gained more confidence in the offering as an occasional put-away pitch to southpaws in the second half of the 2024 season.

Outlook

As athletic as they come on the mound, Chandler made a huge leap in his first full season exclusively focusing on pitching in 2023 and followed that up with a dominant 2024 at the upper levels. He has really come into his own on the mound, confident in how he wants to attack hitters, but also showing more of a willingness to not lean too heavily on his 70 grade heater.

The progress of Chandler’s secondaries and his ability to keep the ball in the yard as a vert pitcher who likes to attack the top of the zone really helps shore up any concern about him sticking as a starter while raising his ceiling to that of a strong No. 2 starter.