Bubba

Chandler

Despite giving up nine runs in his first big-league start this month, Chandler ends his seven-appearance audition with a 4.02 ERA and a 31/4 K/BB in 31 1/3 innings. He allowed a total of five runs in the rest of his outings. It’s the 3.2% walk rate that’s stunning, considering that he came in at 12.0% in Triple-A. It ought to be safe to pencil Chandler into the 2026 rotation after this, though one never can be too sure when it comes to the Pirates.

Chandler was lights out against the Athletics on Saturday, holding them scoreless over five innings. He allowed just one hit and only two baserunners for the A’s while tossing 47-of-68 pitches for strikeouts with six strikeouts. The 23-year-old right-hander will look to finish the season strong with a matchup against the Braves in Atlanta next weekend.

Chandler bounced back tremendously after giving up nine runs in the last outing, holding the Nationals to one run over six innings. He gave up just two hits and did not walk a batter while collecting seven strikeouts, tossing 56-of-81 pitches for strikes and generating an impressive 18 whiffs. The 22-year-old right-hander will look to build off the strong start against the Athletics in Pittsburgh on Friday.

Chandler gave up nine hits, walked three and struck out three. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed the first five batters of the game to reach base on his way to allowing four runs in the first inning. Chandler had a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings out of the bullpen, but his ERA is up to 7.36 after Sunday’s outing. He’s lined up to face the Nationals on the road if the Pirates elect to keep him in the rotation.

The 22-year-old phenom has been used exclusively out of the bullpen since his arrival last month, registering a strong 2.25 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 9/1 K/BB ratio over 12 innings. It remains to be seen if they’ll let him work deep enough into the ballgame to potentially earn a victory. Chandler went 65 pitches his last time out to earn a victory over the Dodgers.

He now has as many career wins while allowing three runs as Paul Skenes does. Chandler took over from Carmen Mlodzinski in the third with the Pirates up 4-1. He gave away that lead over his first two innings, but after he got past the next two scoreless, the Pirates broke through again with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Chandler struck out three and walked none while throwing 65 pitches. He gave up homers to Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages. He’ll probably pitch again in relief of Mlodzinski on Sunday.

Things did not start great for Chandler when Orlando Arcia smacked a double off the top of the wall on the second pitch of his career. He settled in beautifully after that though. First, he stranded Arcia at third and let out a roar when he struck out Mickey Moniak to end that threat, The Rockies would only muster up one more measly base runner for the next three innings, and they were erased by a double play. Chandler has such an impressive blend of stuff and command throwing 29 of his 40 pitches for strikes, touching 100 mph with his fastball, and breaking off some nasty sliders. He can be a huge difference maker if the Pirates let him start this season.

The 22-year-old top prospect will pitch out of the Pirates’ bullpen as a long reliever or in a bulk role behind an opener to begin his big league career. It’s also unclear when he will take the mound for the first time. Chandler posted a 5-6 record, 4.05 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and a 121/53 K/BB ratio across 100 innings in 24 starts at the Triple-A level. While he’s an elite talent, it’s going to be hard for him to carve out mixed league value this season while pitching in a scattered role.

It’s almost absurd that Chandler — universally-regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball — is breaking into the majors as a long reliever after piling up 31 Triple-A starts since last August. The 22-year-old has the kind of stuff that makes fantasy managers lean forward in their metaphorical chairs — electric enough to matter instantly in deeper formats, even if the shallow-league volume doesn’t quite add up. Long-term, the upside is still immense, but his shaky command means the early experience could feel less like a polished debut and more like watching an upstart garage band try to figure out how to play arenas.

Chandler, arguably the game’s top pitching prospect, deserved the promotion months ago, but he’s been pretty mediocre after an outstanding start, probably in part due to frustration about being left in the minors. He has a 7.43 ERA in his last six starts for Triple-A Indianapolis and is 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA and a 121/53 K/BB in 100 innings overall. The Pirates intend to use him as a bulk guy initially, which actually seems good for his fantasy value since it increases the chances that he’ll get wins. It’s possible he’ll be of some use in mixed leagues, and it should help that he’ll get to make his debut at home against the Rockies. Still, he’s not exactly a safe pickup, especially on a bad Pirates team.