Bubba Chandler to make MLB debut: Pirates calling up right-handed pitching prospect this week, per report
The 23-year-old Chandler is ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball
By
Dayn Perry
•
1 min read
The Pittsburgh Pirates will call up right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler and add him to the big-league staff on Friday, MLB.com reports.
Chandler, who turns 23 in September, is one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. In late June, CBS Sports ranked Chandler as the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball. Earlier on Wednesday, our R.J. Anderson highlighted him as one of the notable prospects who may make their big-league debuts during the current season. Here's Anderson's write-up of Chandler:
"Another talented right-hander who has been in the launch position all season. The Pirates still seem more likely than not to press the button and have Chandler debut before year's end, but you would be well within your rights if you were starting to wonder if he'll have to wait until 2026.
"Chandler, 22, hasn't exactly knocked the door down with his production. He's sporting a 4.05 ERA and a 2.28 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 24 Triple-A starts. Those marks include a putrid three-start stretch in August that has seen him surrender 10 runs on 20 hits in 12 innings. Despite those woes, Chandler's future remains bright. His arsenal is led by a high-octane fastball that features both impressive velocity (97.8 mph on average) and rise from a sub-6-foot release height. He also has an above-average slider that has generated the best hard-hit percentage.
"It's clear that Chandler needs to make more adjustments to his game if he wants to fulfill his promise. What the Pirates have to figure out is whether exposing him to big-league competition over the next month would be favorable or harmful to his development."
Alex Stumpf adds that Chandler, who's a starter, will work primarily in a multi-inning relief role for the Pirates but could receive starts later in the season.
Chandler was originally a third-round pick in 2021 out of a Georgia high school. Over parts of four minor-league seasons, he's pitched to a 3.73 ERA with 457 strikeouts and 173 unintentional walks in 372 innings spread across 83 starts and six relief appearances.
Chandler is poised to join a Pirates team that's in last place in the National League Central and on pace for 94 losses.
