Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler nearly unhittable in Triple-A debut

This season, Indianapolis has been no stranger to fast-rising pitching prospects. Mere months after Paul Skenes’ ascension from Indy ace to National League All-Star Game starter to potential Rookie of the Year, another Pirates top prospect was dominant in his Triple-A debut in the form of Bubba Chandler. The righty threw seven scoreless innings en route to a 6-0 win over the Nashville Sounds (Brewers) at First Horizon Park, collecting six strikeouts in the process.

While Chandler looked right at home in his first Triple-A start, holding the Sounds hitless through five innings, he acknowledged that his promotion from Double-A Altoona came with its fare share of adjustments. At 21 years old, Chandler is the youngest player on the Indianapolis roster.

“In the clubhouse, guys are a little older and a little more experienced,” Chandler said. “It’s been great being around them, picking some guys’ brains.”

Among the experienced members of the Indianapolis lineup is No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, who made his Major League debut last season. Davis and Chandler were both selected by the Pirates in the 2021 Draft in the first and third round, respectively. The two have often been grouped together in Pittsburgh prospect rankings but had never shared the field before Friday.

“That guy is a big league catcher for a reason.,” Chandler said. “I’ve known Henry for three years now, but I think that’s the first time he has caught me in a game. I had a lot of fun with him.”

It’s no surprise that Chandler once again finds himself in the same conversation as other top talent, but his 2024 season hasn’t been entirely linear. He started the season with Double-A Altoona but missed time in May with forearm soreness. He struggled in his first start back, at which point he had a 1-4 record and 5.65 ERA. Things started turn around in late June as Chandler had consecutive double-digit strikeout starts. By mid-July, his batting average against was below .200, and he had earned himself a place on the National League All-Star Futures Game roster.

“We had a good plan going into [today’s start],” Chandler said. “I throw a lot of fastballs, and the plan was to pitch backwards all day today and see how it works. I think it was a good plan coming in and I was able to execute some stuff early.”

The results are undeniable — of Chandler’s 85 pitches, only two were hit hard (95+ mph or higher) into fair territory. The Nashville lineup, which features four players who have seen Major League time, whiffed on 36.8 percent of its swings. Of course it bodes well for Chandler’s future in Triple-A, but it also gives him a sense of how he stacks up against talent at the next level.

“A bunch of those guys in the lineup tonight, they’ve been in the big leagues. It’s good matchups to test where I’m at mentally and physically with my pitches and whatnot,” Chandler said. “Tyler [Black, MLB’s No. 33 prospect] had three really good at-bats against me tonight, and that’s kind of how it is if you want to get to the big leagues. That’s how it’s going to be every batter.”