Bubba Chandler Highlighted as Pittsburgh Pirates' Standout Pitching Prospect

By racking up 148 strikeouts and walking just 41 batters across the 2024 minor league season, Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler showed why he is generating some real hype.

Sep 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hats and gloves in the dugout against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

In case the Pittsburgh Pirates didn't have enough promising young starters to work with already, another one appears to be waiting in the wings.

Mitch Keller had already established himself as Pittsburgh's dependable home-grown ace, earning a five-year extension back in February. Jared Jones then made his MLB debut after a dominant Spring Training showing, while No. 1 pick Paul Skenes was fast-tracked to the big leagues in May.

The 22-year-old Skenes won NL Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for NL Cy Young. Jones may not have been quite as dominant, but the 23-year-old posted a 3.56 ERA and 1.110 WHIP before hitting the injured list in July.

Another arm could join Pittsburgh's rotation in 2025 following a breakout season in the minors – Bubba Chandler.

Chandler entered this past year as a fringe top-100 prospect, but he is now ranked atop the Pirates' farm system and No. 15 in all of baseball. The former third round pick actually improved his production when he made the leap from Double-A to Triple-A, cutting his ERA from 3.70 to 1.83.

On the whole, the 22-year-old Chandler finished 2024 with a 10-7 record, 3.08 ERA and 1.019 WHIP. He led all qualified Pirates minor leaguers with 148 strikeouts, 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.37 xFIP.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra singled out another one of Chandler's accomplishments, though, on their list of each team's most impressive prospect statistics of 2024.

Chandler had a 22.3% strikeout-minus-walk percentage, also leading the organization. That was calculated by subtracting his minuscule 8.6% walk percentage from his whopping 30.9% strikeout percentage.

For context, Los Angeles Dodgers lefty and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw has a career K-BB% of 21.1%.

If Chandler can keep up that balance of strikeouts and walks when he reaches the big leagues, the Pirates will have one more dangerous arm to throw at opposing lineups.

It remains to be seen how, where or when Chandler will break into Pittsburgh's rotation, with Bailey Falter coming off a solid 28-start season and Johan Oviedo returning from Tommy John surgery. However, Chandler is already knocking on the door, and the Pirates won't have a choice but to elevate him if he minor league dominance continues.

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