Pirates Pitching Prospect Duo Earn Monthly Honors
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had two of their top pitching prospects have an excellent opening month to their 2025 seasons.
Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler earned International League Pitcher of the Month Award honors for his performances with Triple-A Indianapolis and left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Month Award for his performances with Double-A Altoona.
Chandler dominated Triple-A batters throughout April, with a 1-0 record over five starts, a 1.33 ERA over 20.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs, seven hits and six walks, while posting 27 strikeouts and holding opposing hitters to a .106 batting average.
He also led all International League pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched with a 0.64 WHIP, plus batting average and fewest hits allowed and was third in ERA.
Chandler is the first Indianapolis pitcher that earned International League monthly honors since Zach Duke did so in 2005.
He also excelled in his most recent start on the road vs. the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, on May 1. He allowed just three hit and an earned run over five innings, while posting a season-high nine strikeouts.
Chandler has dominated since coming up to Triple-A in early August 2024, with a 6-0 record over 13 starts, a 1.67 ERA over 64.2 innings pitched and 90 strikeouts.
He is the top rated prospect in the Pirates farm system and No. 13 overall, according to MLB Pipeline.
Barco had a 1-0 record over five starts, allowing no runs, nine hits, three hit batters and four walks, while posting 30 strikeouts and an opposing batting average of .132 in the month of April.
He dominated again in his most recent start on May 3 vs. the Akron Rubberducks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed just two hits, three walks and no runs, while posting five strikeouts over five innings.
Barco set a franchise record with the longest scoreless inning streak to start a season at 25.2 innings pitched.
He is one of two qualified pitchers in the minor leagues with a 0.00 ERA, his 11 hits allowed rank second least for a pitcher with at least 25.2 innings pitched and he ranks both seventh in batting average, .131, and eighth in WHIP, 0.70.
Barco also reportedly earned promotion to Indianapolis, where he will likely join Chandler for a short period of time before Chandler makes it up to the MLB with the Pirates.
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.