The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up Bubba Chandler, who will begin his MLB career in a bullpen role. Chandler is one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball despite some struggles in Triple-A where he has had command issues.
Chandler will retain rookie status in 2026 and can earn Pittsburgh a prospect promotion incentive draft pick by winning Rookie of the Year or finishing top three in Cy Young Award voting next year.
The Athletic ranked Chandler as the No. 19 prospect in the MLB before the season and advanced him to No. 7 in May with the belief he has No. 1 starter upside.
Chandler was a third round pick out of high school in 2021.