Bubba Chandler Dominates After Rough First Start

Bubba Chandler’s first outing as a starter didn’t go as planned. He allowed nine runs on nine hits and couldn’t complete the third inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Milwaukee Brewers.

He returned to the mound as a starter on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, and he silenced any doubts about his ability to pitch out of the rotation. His final line reads six innings, two hits, one run, seven strikeouts and no walks. He retired the first 15 batters of the game, with the lone run scoring on a single in the sixth inning. He didn’t figure into the decision as the Pirates rallied late to win, 5-1.

Chandler threw 81 pitches, his highest count of the season. In an ordinary year with the Pirates in the hunt for the playoffs, Chandler easily could have thrown another inning or two. His fastball averaged 98.6 mph and held throughout the start. He steered the pitch beautifully to the top of the strike zone, leading to 13 whiffs on 45 pitches.

After establishing the fastball at the top of the zone, he turned to the changeup below the zone. On 22 pitches, it returned four whiffs and three outs. No Nationals recorded a hit against his changeup.

Going forward, Chandler will need more than just a fastball and changeup, but they’re a great baseline to his arsenal. He used a slider and curveball as well, but floated both of them frequently, which is always dangerous.

The Pirates’ top pitching prospect will turn 23 on Sunday. He just crossed 20 career major league innings and is far from a finished product. With an offseason to continue to develop, who knows how high his ceiling can rise.

There is one major red flag for the Pirates’ prospect. He’s a huge college football fan, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Noah Hiles has tasked Chandler with making picks each week. Ahead of Saturday’s game, Chandler picked West Virginia to beat Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl. Not the best way to introduce yourself to new fans.

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