Pittsburgh Pirates Top Prospect Has Posted Almost Identical Numbers to Paul Skenes in Triple-A

Bubba Chandler posted another outstanding start on Thursday for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, putting him on par with what we saw in 2024 from Paul Skenes.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler (57) poses for a photo during photo day at Pirate City in 2024. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The major league call-up just has to be getting close for Pittsburgh Pirates' top prospect Bubba Chandler.

The 22-year-old threw another gem on Thursday night, tossing five innings of one-run ball for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. He walked one and struck out nine.

Baseball's No. 14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, he now has a 2-0 record and a 1.42 ERA through 25.1 innings. Baseball insider Travis Sawchik notes that his numbers are almost identical to Paul Skenes when he was called up by the Pirates early last May.

Paul Skenes 2024 in Triple-A: 27.2 IP, 35% K-BB%
Bubba Chandler in Triple-A: 25.1 IP, 32% K-BB%
It's time.

Paul Skenes 2024 in Triple-A: 27.2 IP, 35% K-BB%
Bubba Chandler in Triple-A: 25.1 IP, 32% K-BB%
It's time.

— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) May 2, 2025

Skenes quickly became one of the best pitchers in the league once getting promoted. He made the All-Star team, started the All-Star Game, won the Rookie of the Year and finished third in the National League Cy Young voting.

When Chandler is called up, he and Skenes will form a dynamic top-of-the-rotation in Pittsburgh.

Chandler is 23-12 lifetime in the minor leagues with a 3.42 ERA. He was a third-round pick of the Pirates in the 2021 draft out of the high school ranks. He was supposed to paly football at Clemson before turning pro in baseball.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Chandler has rapidly evolved from an athlete and thrower to a complete pitcher with a real idea of how to use all four of his pitches effectively. It still starts with his elite-level fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and touched 99 in 2024, according to Synergy. It has impressive vertical break, his command of the pitch has improved and he holds the premium velocity deep into starts. The Pirates challenged Chandler to focus on the development of his secondary offerings, and he responded with a much-improved 86-87 mph slider and upper-80s changeup while still dropping in the occasional low-80s curve. 

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