Bubba Chandler has been one of the top pitching prospects over the past couple of years, and it was breaking news when the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up on August 22. Though many thought it was strange that this was the time that he received that call, it was exciting nonetheless to see the future of the Pirates’ pitching staff finally getting some time in the big leagues. So far, he is performing as advertised with the Pirates and is primed to leave a lasting impact with the franchise.
The 22-year
old righty was a proven starter in the Minor Leagues, holding a 26-18 record with a Minor League career ERA of 3.73 through 372 innings. When he was called up by the Pirates, however, it was made clear from the start that he would begin his career in the Majors, seeing time as a bulk reliever with the opportunity to earn starts. This has been the model that the Pirates coaching staff has used with other young pitchers, to include Braxton Ashcraft who started with a similar role and is now growing into a quality starter for the Buccos. Manager Don Kelly broke down his thoughts on Chandler coming up.
“To have Bubba in a situation like that, where he can go out to the ‘pen, work on things at the big league level and be here to learn from the guys up here, learn from the staff and players and get feedback from the Major League game is going to be really important for him and for us.”
So far, that model has worked wonders, as Chandler has been largely lights out in his relief appearances. He has already gathered two wins and a save in his time in Pittsburgh and has been fanning fast balls past big league hitters. Through three games, Chandler has a 2.25 ERA with nine strikeouts across 12 innings.
Chandler did have a humbling experience in his most recent outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Shohei Ohtani introduced himself to the rookie in a big way. Already behind in the count, Chandler tried a 99mph fast ball on the inside corner looking for a swing and a miss opportunity. Instead he was met with a big swing from Ohtani, that registered at 120mph exit velocity and was belted into the right field seats. It was the first run he’s given up at the MLB level. Down but not out, Chandler took a minute to soak in the moment as a learning opportunity.
“He’s a great player, one of the best players to ever play. Lotta guys in that lineup, some really tough at-bats,” Chandler said. “Some went my way, some went their’s, but it’s pretty cool. Can’t complain, givin’ up a home run to Shohei.”
Giving up a homer to a former world champion and MVP is just one of the growing pains that all the great young pitchers go through. Times like this are only getting Chandler ready for the huge impact he could have moving forward in the Pirates’ rotation. A rotation with him, Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Braxton Ashcraft, and veteran Mitch Keller could be one of the best groups in baseball in 2026 and Chandler will certainly be at the forefront of a lot of those big games.
Bubba Chandler is Pirates second ranked prospect and the seventh highest rated prospect in baseball. He is also only the ninth player to record two wins and a save in his first three games.
