PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s something the fans have called for since early in the season and finally to start the sixth inning Friday night, Pirates top prospect for much of the last couple of years made his debut.
Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler raced out of the bullpen after the fifth inning to relieve Braxton Ashcraft. It didn’t take long to give up his first hit, Orlando Arcia hit a ball off the left field wall for a double. But it was after that where the 22-year-old showed off some of his stuff.
Ryan Ritter was called out on a 99.9 mph. Then after a groundout by one of the National League’s leading hitters Tyler Freeman, Mickey Moniak couldn’t catch up to a 100.4 mph fastball to end the inning.
His first MLB inning was 14 pitches, 10 were for strikes.
A third-round pick by the Pirates in 2021, the team convinced Chandler to give up a full scholarship to play quarterback at Clemson. In his first full season in the minors, he struck out 128 in 111 innings. Last year he struck out 148 in 119.2 innings with a 1.02 WHIP and .189 batting average against.
Chandler begins his pro career not as a starter, but in a bulk relieving role with the outside shot of still starting a game before this season is over. It’s a similar plan to what they used with Braxton Ashcraft who started the game Friday night.