Pittsburgh Pirates fans got their first look at Bubba Chandler on Friday night, and the rookie wasted no time proving why he has been billed as one of baseball’s best young arms. The 22-year-old right-hander came out of the bullpen and tossed four scoreless innings to lock down a 9-0 win over the Colorado Rockies, picking up a rare four-inning save in his first major league appearance.
Pirates’ Bubba Chandler throws fire in debut, earns rare 4-inning save
The Pirates had called Chandler up from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day, and he entered the game in the sixth inning after starter Braxton Ashcraft allowed just one hit over five frames. Chandler’s first pitch hit 99 mph on the radar gun, and he later topped out at 100 mph while striking out Ryan Ritter and Mickey Moniak. His only blemish came on a double by Orlando Arcia in his first at-bat.
Chandler flashes 100 mph fastball in first big league outing
Chandler breezed through the seventh on just seven pitches, with help from a diving grab by Jack Suwinski in center. He worked around a hit batter in the eighth by inducing a double play, then struck out Arcia on a changeup to end the frame. Manager Don Kelly gave him the ninth as well, where Chandler closed it out despite allowing one single.
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The Pirates plan to ease him into the majors in relief, similar to the way they handled Ashcraft earlier in the season. Long term, Chandler is expected to start, though the team is monitoring his innings closely after throwing 100 in the minors this year.
A third-round pick in 2021, Chandler initially played as a two-way prospect before shifting full time to the mound in 2023. He now joins a young staff that already features Paul Skenes, last year’s NL Rookie of the Year and a Cy Young candidate.
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