Bubba Chandler

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #1 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High.
  
  Track Record: Chandler burnished a reputation for athletic prowess as a multi-sport star at North Oconee High, where he was a four-star quarterback, could dunk a basketball and even golfed ambidextrously. He committed to Clemson to play both baseball and football—that is, until the Pirates ensured Chandler never reached campus. Pittsburgh drafted Chandler as a two-way player at No. 72 overall in 2021, the same year they went under slot at No. 1 to draft Henry Davis. The Pirates signed Chandler to a $3 million bonus more akin to late first-round money. The move looks like a wise decision. Chandler teased his immense ceiling in 2023, his first year exclusively pitching, then took a massive leap forward in 2024, emerging as one of baseball’s finest pitching prospects. The righthander posted a 3.08 ERA and struck out 148 batters over 119.2 innings in the upper minors. He ended the season with a flourish, compiling a 34% strikeout rate and 1.83 ERA over 39.1 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis.
  
  Scouting Report: While Chandler has always shown impressive fastball traits, his upper-90s four-seamer took another step forward in 2024 and was among one of the more impressive heaters in the minor leagues. He added another tick to his elite fastball, which he throws with impressive extension, generating a flatter plane even from his vertical slot. He also sustained his velocity deep into starts. The rest of Chandler’s arsenal and his strike-throwing coalesced more consistently in 2024. He can manipulate the velocity on his mid-80s slider, which has above-average potential with depth and bite. He did a better job landing it for strikes in the second half of the season, which keyed his late-season surge. Chandler also showed more willingness to lean on his 89 mph changeup, which is another future potential plus offering, throwing it 13% of the time in 2024. He’ll flip in the occasional curveball, though most evaluators prefer his slider. While Chandler showed inconsistent command early in his professional career, most evaluators remained hopeful that his strike throwing would improve over time given his athleticism and ability to repeat his delivery. He’s still a work in progress, especially with his slider, but his strike percentage was slightly above-average in 2024 and has incrementally improved in each of his three full professional seasons. The Pirates worked with Chandler on establishing a better game plan and sequencing, especially once he reached Triple-A, and opposing scouts lauded his competitiveness on the mound.
  
  The Future: Behind a premium arsenal featuring three pitches bordering on plus or better, Chandler has already staked his claim as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Now, his sights are set on a spot in Pittsburgh’s rotation. Chandler has legitimate No. 2 upside and should reach the majors in 2025—perhaps even out of spring training—where he’ll hope to settle in alongside Paul Skenes and Jared Jones to form one of the most potent young trios in the sport.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: In 2021, the Pirates had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. With no consensus player available, they chose Henry Davis, signed him to an under-slot deal, and used the savings to gamble on several high-upside prep prospects. One such prospect was Chandler, a two-way talent from Georgia with considerable athleticism and a high ceiling as a pitcher. He continued hitting for the first two seasons of his pro career before focusing solely on pitching in 2023, when he began polishing his rough edges and hinting at what could be a very bright future. He spun five no-hit innings with eight strikeouts in his lone start for Double-A Altoona.
  
  Scouting Report: Though Chandler struggled early in the season, there was no point when his pure stuff was questioned. His four-seam fastball, which sat in the mid 90s and peaked a few ticks higher, showed above-average life and got plenty of misses and chases. Chandler’s primary offspeed weapon is a mid-80s slider with snappy action that scouts project as at least a future above-average pitch. His third pitch is a changeup that averaged around 88 mph and was thrown roughly 10% of the time. The pitch showed above-average life and projects to be a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale. The key to Chandler’s improvements in 2023 was an improved ability to throw his offspeed pitches for strikes. Once that happened, hitters could no longer eliminate them immediately as pitches designed solely to be chased. That improvement was stark after the first two months of the season. In April and May, Chandler walked 27 hitters and struck out 39. From June on, he walked 24 hitters and struck out 89.
  
  The Future: Chandler will return to Double-A in 2024 and will get a full year of experience against savvier hitters. There’s still plenty of development remaining, but he has the upside of a No. 3 starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Chandler's athletic feats are legendary at North Oconee High, where the Georgia native excelled as a three-sport star and committed to Clemson to play both baseball and football. The Pirates made sure Chandler never reached campus, signing him to an above-slot $3 million deal after selecting him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He debuted that summer as a hitter in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and returned to the FCL in 2022 as a two-way player before ultimately reaching Low-A Bradenton.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is dynamic enough to warrant a shot at both pitching and hitting, but most evaluators believe he ends up exclusively on the mound. His athleticism allows him to naturally create tension in his delivery, which leads to premium velocity that he already holds deep into starts as a 19-year-old. His 95-97 mph four-seamer is one of the best in Pittsburgh's system. Hitters whiffed on it 40% of the time in 2022, and it has great carry at the top of the zone. The rest of his operation is still quite raw. Chandler's best secondary pitch is an 86-88 mph changeup that flashes plus. His mid-80s slider is a work in progress--sometimes appearing as two distinct pitches--but it improved with more reps. Chandler has little issue repeating his delivery but still posted a 16% walk rate. The Pirates attribute some of the command issues to youth and inexperience as he learns to pitch and not simply rely on his stuff. At the plate, the switch-hitting Chandler has legitimate power potential--his average exit velocity was nearly 90 mph--but he also struck out nearly 40% of the time against low-level pitchers.
  
  The Future: Chandler has immense upside--and also a long way to go to reach it. He is expected to return to Low-A Bradenton to begin 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #13 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Chandler expected to play both baseball and football at Clemson until the Pirates offered him $3 million—late first-round money—to turn pro as a 2021 third-round pick. They landed one of the draft’s most compelling prospects. A four-star quarterback recruit, Chandler surged up baseball draft boards after touching 97 mph last spring while showing promise as a legit two-way player. Chandler made his pro debut by appearing in 11 games as a shortstop and DH in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is an elite athlete capable of throwing a football 50 yards lefthanded and easily dunking a basketball. He’s a switch-hitter with real raw power. But the Pirates view him first as a pitcher, where most evaluators feel he has immense upside. Chandler has a fast, strong arm and already runs his fastball into the low-to-mid 90s from a high arm slot. His secondaries were inconsistent as an amateur, but his breaking ball showed above-average spin and he throws a work-in-progress changeup. He’s also experimented with both a slider and a cutter. Chandler’s mechanics are quite raw. He has never focused on baseball full time. At the plate, Chandler is a switch-hitter with solid raw power, albeit with swing-and-miss concerns. He has the range and arm strength to handle shortstop.
  
  The Future: There are few comparisons for Chandler, and the Pirates plan to allow him to pursue both pitching and hitting. It may be a slow burn, but his athleticism and raw skills create immense upside.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #20 prospect in 2021 draft
  In a 2021 class littered with standout high school athletes, Chandler might be one of the best. A multi-sport athlete, Chandler is a four-star quarterback according to 247Sports and is committed to Clemson for both football and baseball. He can throw a football 40 yards down field with his left hand and he can also windmill dunk on the basketball court. Understandably, many teams are excited about the massive upside Chandler could have if he ever focuses exclusively on baseball. On the diamond, he’s a talented righthander and shortstop, with most teams preferring him on the mound, but a handful are either on him as a hitter or open-minded to letting him try the two-way experiment. Chandler has touched 97 mph this spring, but more typically works in the 89-93 mph range with his fastball. He’s shown a mid-70s curveball with above-average spin rate that scouts believe could develop into a plus pitch and he’s also thrown a changeup that needs more work. Chandler’s delivery needs work, as he gets by more on athleticism than on pristine mechanics. He doesn’t fully incorporate his legs at the moment, and while he has a super-fast arm, some scouts don’t love his high arm slot. His secondaries are both inconsistent now and his strikes have been scattered, but those who like Chandler believe he has the athleticism and natural feel for spin to make a massive leap with the help of pro player development and with an 100% focus on baseball. Chandler is a switch-hitting shortstop who has solid raw power in the tank and a better swing from the right side than the left, with lots of contact out of a quick, line-drive oriented swing. Chandler isn’t a refined defender now, but when he gets moving he can cover plenty of ground and he certainly has the arm strength for the left side of the infield. With all of those tools and athleticism in a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame, Chandler’s upside is tremendous, and he should find a home in the first round unless he’s dead set on joining one of the best football programs in the nation.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #21 prospect in 2024

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Chandler's athletic feats are legendary at North Oconee High, where the Georgia native excelled as a three-sport star and committed to Clemson to play both baseball and football. The Pirates made sure Chandler never reached campus, signing him to an above-slot $3 million deal after selecting him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He debuted that summer as a hitter in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and returned to the FCL in 2022 as a two-way player before ultimately reaching Low-A Bradenton.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is dynamic enough to warrant a shot at both pitching and hitting, but most evaluators believe he ends up exclusively on the mound. His athleticism allows him to naturally create tension in his delivery, which leads to premium velocity that he already holds deep into starts as a 19-year-old. His 95-97 mph four-seamer is one of the best in Pittsburgh's system. Hitters whiffed on it 40% of the time in 2022, and it has great carry at the top of the zone. The rest of his operation is still quite raw. Chandler's best secondary pitch is an 86-88 mph changeup that flashes plus. His mid-80s slider is a work in progress--sometimes appearing as two distinct pitches--but it improved with more reps. Chandler has little issue repeating his delivery but still posted a 16% walk rate. The Pirates attribute some of the command issues to youth and inexperience as he learns to pitch and not simply rely on his stuff. At the plate, the switch-hitting Chandler has legitimate power potential--his average exit velocity was nearly 90 mph--but he also struck out nearly 40% of the time against low-level pitchers.
  
  The Future: Chandler has immense upside--and also a long way to go to reach it. He is expected to return to Low-A Bradenton to begin 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Chandler's athletic feats are legendary at North Oconee High, where the Georgia native excelled as a three-sport star and committed to Clemson to play both baseball and football. The Pirates made sure Chandler never reached campus, signing him to an above-slot $3 million deal after selecting him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He debuted that summer as a hitter in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and returned to the FCL in 2022 as a two-way player before ultimately reaching Low-A Bradenton.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is dynamic enough to warrant a shot at both pitching and hitting, but most evaluators believe he ends up exclusively on the mound. His athleticism allows him to naturally create tension in his delivery, which leads to premium velocity that he already holds deep into starts as a 19-year-old. His 95-97 mph four-seamer is one of the best in Pittsburgh's system. Hitters whiffed on it 40% of the time in 2022, and it has great carry at the top of the zone. The rest of his operation is still quite raw. Chandler's best secondary pitch is an 86-88 mph changeup that flashes plus. His mid-80s slider is a work in progress--sometimes appearing as two distinct pitches--but it improved with more reps. Chandler has little issue repeating his delivery but still posted a 16% walk rate. The Pirates attribute some of the command issues to youth and inexperience as he learns to pitch and not simply rely on his stuff. At the plate, the switch-hitting Chandler has legitimate power potential--his average exit velocity was nearly 90 mph--but he also struck out nearly 40% of the time against low-level pitchers.
  
  The Future: Chandler has immense upside--and also a long way to go to reach it. He is expected to return to Low-A Bradenton to begin 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Chandler expected to play both baseball and football at Clemson until the Pirates offered him $3 million—late first-round money—to turn pro as a 2021 third-round pick. They landed one of the draft&#39s most compelling prospects. A four-star quarterback recruit, Chandler surged up baseball draft boards after touching 97 mph last spring while showing promise as a legit two-way player. Chandler made his pro debut by appearing in 11 games as a shortstop and DH in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is an elite athlete capable of throwing a football 50 yards lefthanded and easily dunking a basketball. He&#39s a switch-hitter with real raw power. But the Pirates view him first as a pitcher, where most evaluators feel he has immense upside. Chandler has a fast, strong arm and already runs his fastball into the low-to-mid 90s from a high arm slot. His secondaries were inconsistent as an amateur, but his breaking ball showed above-average spin and he throws a work-in-progress changeup. He&#39s also experimented with both a slider and a cutter. Chandler&#39s mechanics are quite raw. He has never focused on baseball full time. At the plate, Chandler is a switch-hitter with solid raw power, albeit with swing-and-miss concerns. He has the range and arm strength to handle shortstop.
  
  The Future: There are few comparisons for Chandler, and the Pirates plan to allow him to pursue both pitching and hitting. It may be a slow burn, but his athleticism and raw skills create immense upside.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Chandler expected to play both baseball and football at Clemson until the Pirates offered him $3 million—late first-round money—to turn pro as a 2021 third-round pick. They landed one of the draft’s most compelling prospects. A four-star quarterback recruit, Chandler surged up baseball draft boards after touching 97 mph last spring while showing promise as a legit two-way player. Chandler made his pro debut by appearing in 11 games as a shortstop and DH in the Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Chandler is an elite athlete capable of throwing a football 50 yards lefthanded and easily dunking a basketball. He’s a switch-hitter with real raw power. But the Pirates view him first as a pitcher, where most evaluators feel he has immense upside. Chandler has a fast, strong arm and already runs his fastball into the low-to-mid 90s from a high arm slot. His secondaries were inconsistent as an amateur, but his breaking ball showed above-average spin and he throws a work-in-progress changeup. He’s also experimented with both a slider and a cutter. Chandler’s mechanics are quite raw. He has never focused on baseball full time. At the plate, Chandler is a switch-hitter with solid raw power, albeit with swing-and-miss concerns. He has the range and arm strength to handle shortstop.
  
  The Future: There are few comparisons for Chandler, and the Pirates plan to allow him to pursue both pitching and hitting. It may be a slow burn, but his athleticism and raw skills create immense upside.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  In a 2021 class littered with standout high school athletes, Chandler might be one of the best. A multi-sport athlete, Chandler is a four-star quarterback according to 247Sports and is committed to Clemson for both football and baseball. He can throw a football 40 yards down field with his left hand and he can also windmill dunk on the basketball court. Understandably, many teams are excited about the massive upside Chandler could have if he ever focuses exclusively on baseball. On the diamond, he's a talented righthander and shortstop, with most teams preferring him on the mound, but a handful are either on him as a hitter or open-minded to letting him try the two-way experiment. Chandler has touched 97 mph this spring, but more typically works in the 89-93 mph range with his fastball. He's shown a mid-70s curveball with above-average spin rate that scouts believe could develop into a plus pitch and he's also thrown a changeup that needs more work. Chandler's delivery needs work, as he gets by more on athleticism than on pristine mechanics. He doesn't fully incorporate his legs at the moment, and while he has a super-fast arm, some scouts don't love his high arm slot. His secondaries are both inconsistent now and his strikes have been scattered, but those who like Chandler believe he has the athleticism and natural feel for spin to make a massive leap with the help of pro player development and with an 100% focus on baseball. Chandler is a switch-hitting shortstop who has solid raw power in the tank and a better swing from the right side than the left, with lots of contact out of a quick, line-drive oriented swing. Chandler isn't a refined defender now, but when he gets moving he can cover plenty of ground and he certainly has the arm strength for the left side of the infield. With all of those tools and athleticism in a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame, Chandler's upside is tremendous.