Pirates Top Prospect Believe Pieces Are There
In this story:
Few players on the Pittsburgh Pirates will draw more attention in Spring Training than right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler.
Chandler, who is the Pirates' top prospect and the No. 15 prospect in baseball in MLB Pipeline's rankings, is arguably the most intriguing option to become the team's No. 5 starter. Regardless of how things shake out for the rapidly ascending right-hander, he believes Pittsburgh has more than enough to improve in 2025 after back-to-back 76-86 seasons.
“I think we definitely have all the pieces that we need to win,” Chandler told MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. “We are going to try to do that. We are going to have fun doing it. There are a lot of guys in the big league level that are good leaders and have some wits about them that they want to win. If I ever get up there, I would love to be a part of it.”
Chandler may find himself as a crucial piece for the Pirates in 2025, and if his performance in the minor leagues last season was any indication, he could be more than ready for the big leagues. He went 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA in 26 appearances (23 starts) and struck out 148 batters over his 119 2/3 innings across Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He also held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average and posted a 1.02 WHIP.
Chandler stepped his game up after being promoted to Triple-A, as he went 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in seven starts and struck out 54 batters in 39 1/3 innings.
With the growth Chandler made last season, his chances of breaking camp with the Pirates will more than likely come down to how he performs in Spring Training. If he can look the part of a top prospect, Pittsburgh could be poised to have another dynamic young arm in its rotation alongside Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller.
