Pirates Top Prospect Predicted To Make Impact In 2025
On the heels of Paul Skenes having a historic first season en route to winning the National League Rookie of the Year, the Pittsburgh Pirates have another top pitching prospect who could make his MLB debut in 2025.
Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler is universally viewed as the Pirates' top prospect and is coming off a stellar season that saw him dominate in his seven starts at Triple-A Indianapolis. With Chandler knocking on the door, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci predicted the Pirates' top prospect will eventually debut next season and continue the trend of young pitchers finding early success.
"Technology has pushed pitching development so far ahead of hitting development," Verducci writes. "That trend continues. The next generation of plug-and-play strikeout pitchers who will impact 2025 include Jackson Jobe of the Detroit Tigers, Andrew Painter of the Philadelphia Phillies, Bubba Chandler of the Pirates, Caden Dana of the Angels and Kumar Rocker of the Rangers."
Verducci is far from the only insider to have high expectations for Chandler. MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo predicted that the Pirates' top prospect will win the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year. Along with being Pittsburgh's top-ranked prospect, MLB Pipeline ranks Chandler as the No. 15 overall prospect in baseball and the No. 2 pitcher, only trailing Jobe, who is ranked No. 6.
Mayo also noted the Pirates including right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz in the trade to the Cleveland Guardians for left-handed hitting first baseman Spencer Horwitz could be the path Chandler needs to arrive in Pittsburgh early in 2025.
"That opens an avenue for Bubba Chandler to hit the rotation sooner rather than later," Mayo writes. "Is it Opening Day? I don’t know. But Paul Skenes wasn’t on the Opening Day roster and he ended up being Rookie of the Year."
Chandler went 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA and struck out 148 batters over 119.2 innings across Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. In Indianapolis, Chandler made seven starts, going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA and struck out 54 batters over 39.1 innings pitched while holding opposing hitters to a .183 batting average.
Chandler isn't the only Pirates pitching prospect on the cusp of reaching the big leagues. Right-handed pitching prospects Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft are also in MLB Pipeline's top 100 rankings and reached Triple-A in 2024.
The Pirates trading Ortiz likely wouldn't have happened unless the team felt one of their top prospects was ready to debut early next season. If that turns out to be Chandler and he maintains his success from last season, Pittsburgh may have its second straight rookie of the year.
