January 25, 2026

Coming into 2025, MLB Pipeline ranked Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler as the top pitching prospect in baseball. Most believed the Pirates would call up the 23-year-old right away in 2025, but the team waited until late August. When Chandler finally reached the majors, he was used out of the bullpen for his first three appearances, giving up just three earned runs while striking out 12 across 12 innings. The team then transitioned him into the starting rotation, but his first MLB start was a rough one. The Brewers tagged Chandler for nine earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. From that point on, however, he dominated as a starter. Over his final three starts, he posted a 1.98 ERA with 19 strikeouts and zero walks. Overall, he finished his first MLB stint with a 3.09 SIERA, a 30% whiff rate, 25% strikeout rate, and a 3% walk rate across 31 1/3 innings. Looking ahead to 2026, Chandler has a 148 ADP and is the 40th starting pitcher off the board, yet he offers legitimate top-25 upside. He features a four-pitch mix backed by strong underlying metrics, including a 115 Pitching+, 109 Stuff+, and a 104 Location+. Lastly, Chandler must find peace of mind knowing his role for 2026, and that's getting the ball every fifth day for the big-league club. While wins may be hard to come by, he should deliver strong ratios and plenty of strikeouts.--Marty Tallman