Lowly Pittsburgh Pirates to Call Up No. 1 Pitching Prospect Bubba Chandler

The 22-year-old righty will have a bullpen role initially with the opportunity to earn starts and join a rotation that includes Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes.

Bubba Chandler of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the seventh inning of the All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 13, 2024. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Two years ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates called up Paul Skenes from the minors and received immediate dividends, as the former No. 1 overall pick has become, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball. Now, Pittsburgh is hoping to strike gold twice by calling up Bubba Chandler, the top-ranked pitching prospect in the minor leagues and the No. 7 overall prospect.

Per MLB.com, the Pirates plan to select the contract of Chandler on Aug. 22 ahead of a home matchup versus the Colorado Rockies that night. But he isn’t expected to start that game or any other in the immediate future because Pittsburgh plans to use him out of the bullpen initially.