Bubba Chandler Shines in Pirates Debut
Young right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler dazzled in his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chandler, 22, known for his powerful arm, pitched four scoreless innings, securing the save in the 9-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
Chandler became the third pitcher since 1980 to record a four-inning save in his MLB debut. Officially called up from Triple-A Indianapolis that same day, Chandler entered the game in the top of the sixth inning, relieving Braxton Ashcraft, who had pitched five innings allowing only one hit. Chandler’s first major league pitch was a 99 mph fastball that Orlando Arcia sent foul. Arcia then hit a double, but that was Chandler’s only mistake. Chandler struck out Ryan Ritter with a 100 mph fastball, forced Tyler Freeman to hit for an out, and struck out Mickey Moniak with another triple-digit fastball. Chandler needed only seven pitches to retire the Rockies in the seventh inning, with the help of a sliding catch by center fielder Jack Suwinski. Braxton Fulford was hit by a pitch in the eighth, but Chandler induced Yanquiel Fernández to hit into a double play and struck out Arcia with a changeup. After Ritter singled at the start of the ninth, Chandler retired the next three batters to close out the game. The Pirates plan to use Chandler in a relief role for now, as a way to create what manager Don Kelly called a “ramp up” to the majors, a strategy the club used earlier this season after calling up Ashcraft. Chandler will have the opportunity to start at some point, although the club is carefully monitoring his workload. He threw 100 innings in the minors this season, not far from the 119 1/3 innings he threw last year while splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A. Selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, Chandler was a two-way player early in his minor league career before dedicating himself to full-time pitching in 2023. Chandler joins a pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, the current National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young contender, aged 23. Although Skenes’ debut in May 2024 was treated as a major event in Pittsburgh, Chandler had a decidedly quieter entrance. He avoided any pre-game interviews and was running in the PNC Park outfield more than five hours before the first pitch.
