It’s the dog days of August, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are already looking ahead to 2026. They made that clear at last week’s trade deadline, shipping out six players in an effort to start building for next year.
In the meantime, there’s still nearly two months of games left to play. While the Pirates are out of contention, they can use this time to evaluate some of their young players and see who can make an impact going forward.
One of those players is Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh’s top pitching prospect and No. 2 prospect overall behind Konnor Griffin.
Chandler is still in Triple-A after being promoted there last year. He’s made 29 starts for the Indianapolis Indians over the last two seasons, going 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.
The 22-year-old righty looks ready for the Major Leagues, and he knows it.
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“It’s frustrating,” Chandler told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette during an exclusive interview in mid-May. “I don’t know. I’ve thrown 100 innings every year for the last three years. I’ve been ready and know I can help the big-league team.”
Three months have passed since then, and Chandler is still waiting to be called up. While he’s young, he’s more than proven himself, gaining plenty of experience and showcasing his talent across 364 2/3 Minor League innings.
At this point, it’s only a matter of time until the Pirates bring him up. If not this month, then next month when rosters expand.
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“At some point, yeah, we want to see Bubba,” Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 31. “We want to put him in the best position to be ready for that, and there are others. There may even be others on our team now, but we’ll see. I think we just need a little bit more time to answer those questions.”
In the meantime, Chandler will just have to stay patient. He’s already waited long enough, but his opportunity is coming.
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Featured image via Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images