Pirates GM Addresses Bubba Chandler's Promotion Timeline
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best prospects in baseball in right-handed starting pitcher Bubba Chandler that fans are eagerly waiting for a promotion to the MLB.
Chandler has spent all of 2025 with Triple-A Indianapolis, with a 5-5 record over 23 starts, a 3.82 ERA over 96.2 innings pitched, 116 strikeouts to 48 walks, a .245 opposing batting average and a 1.45 WHIP.
He leads the International League in strikeouts, ranks eighth in ERA, 11th in opposing batting average, 16th in innings pitched and 18th in WHIP. He also ranks second in K/9 (10.88).
MLB Pipeline ranks Chandler as the fourth best prospect in baseball and the second best Pirates prospect, with Konnor Griffin recently taking over as the best prospect.
Chandler had a great start to 2025, allowing just 11 earned runs through the first 11 starts and two months of the season, but has had great and poor performances over the past three months.
This featured his start on May 24 vs. the Toldeo Mudhens, Triple-A affilliate of the Detroit Tigers, where he brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finishing with 6.1 innings pitched.
He 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.
Chandler 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.
He then has struggled since, allowing 18 earned runs over 23.1 innings pitched in his last five stars for a 7.01 ERA, giving up 31 hits and 11 walks for a 1.82 WHIP, while posting 23 strikeouts.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke on his radio show with Pirates play-by-play commentator Greg Brown on 93.7 The Fan on Aug. 10 and addressed Chandler and when he would come up.
Cherington said that the difficulties that Chandler has had in Triple-A will only benefit him when he goes to the MLB and that going through that in the minor leagues is better than dealing with it all at the major league level.
“Well, in some ways, the challenges he’s gone through over the past few weeks, he’s had some really good outings, he’s had some other ones where he’s struggled. To some degree, the challenges he’s gone through, long term, will end up being helpful," Cherington said.
“I always feel a little better when a player experiences some adversity in the minor leagues before they experience adversity in the major leagues because you know there’s going to be adversity in the major leagues.
“So in some ways it doesn’t bother me that he’s been challenged a little bit. We continue to work with him just to be who he is. Be consistent, be the best version of Bubba Chandler. I think we’re seeing that more often than not here recently."
The Pirates are likely keeping him at Triple-A so they can protect his rookie status heading into 2026. A player is still considered a rookie, according to the MLB, when they have spent less than 45 days on an active roster or thrown 50.0 innings pitched.
Cherington said that he expects Chandler to come up at some point, but that they need the opportunity for him to come up and that Chander, himself, has to show he's ready for MLB-level hitting.
"I’ve said before the statute of limitations on me saying this is probably starting to run out, it’s still our desire to see him in Pittsburgh and so I’ll still bet on that happening at some point, but it really happens for two reasons," Cherington said.
“One thing that has to happen is the opportunity has to open. We’re not going to force someone out of a spot just to do it, unless there’s a reason to, right. If someone’s here and they’re doing their job and performing well, we don’t want to do that just to do that. So the opportunity has to open to some degree and then the player, in this case Bubba and there may be others, the players have to do their part and tell us they’re ready.
“So I’d still bet on that happening. He’s working really hard. Our group is working really hard with him. He’s incredibly important to our future. He’s got a chance to be a very, very good major league starting pitcher.”
The Pirates have also called up rookies like right-handers in Braxton Aschraft, who holds a middle-reliever role in the bullpen, and Mike Burrows, who is a part of the starting rotation.
Burrows has a 1-4 record in 15 outings and 14 starts, a 4.66 ERA over 67.2 innings pitched, 69 strikeouts to 29 walks, a .234 opposing batting average and a 1.26 WHIP.
Cherington said that they called up Burrows on May 21 because they felt he would compete for a starting position and that Burrows has done, soldifying a spot and taking over from right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski.
He also said that timing is the most important aspect for Chandler's callup and that Burrows had the right timing and has executed so far.
“We made a decision earlier this year to call up Michael Burrows and I think at the time, there was some reaction to that, like ‘Well why Burrows and not somebody else?’, ‘Why was it Burrows and not Chandler?’, for example," Cherington said.
“These are tough decisions, but they’re not made by flipping a coin. There were reasons at that time, that we really felt Michael was in a spot to come up and compete and be in a position and have success and he’s mostly done that.
“He’s had a couple rougher outings, but he’s had some really good ones. I think he’s shown that he was ready for that opportunity and he’s competed and helped us and he’s also a really important part of our team going forward.
“So there’s a lot that goes into these things. So I would not say I’m not of that philosophy that you mentioned. It’s just a matter of timing.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.