Bubba Chandler just joined elite company with his most dangerous weapon

Bubba Chandler has spent the past month reminding everyone why he was once considered one of the most electric pitching prospects in baseball. On Tuesday, his best pitch reached another level entirely.

Chandler generated a staggering 16 whiffs with his four-seam fastball against the Chicago White Sox, putting him in exceptionally rare company. According to Alex Stumpf, the only other pitchers to record at least 16 whiffs with a four-seamer in a game this season are Jacob Misiorowski, Cole Ragans and Cam Schlittler.

That's a pretty impressive group for Chandler to join. More importantly, though, it offered another glimpse of just how dominant his fastball can become at the major-league level.

Half of the swings against Chandler's four-seamer Tuesday resulted in a miss. His 50% whiff rate on the pitch was the highest by any pitcher in a game this season among those who generated at least 10 whiffs with a four-seamer.

For Chandler, that is exactly what the Pirates want to see. The right-hander has always possessed premium velocity, but simply throwing hard was never going to determine whether he eventually became a frontline starter. The separator would be whether Chandler could turn that velocity into consistent swing-and-miss against major-league hitters.

Lately, the answer has increasingly been yes.

Bubba Chandler's fastball is becoming a nightmare for the rest of MLB

Since Aug. 3, Chandler has made seven starts and posted a 3.38 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 37 1/3 innings. Perhaps just as encouraging, opponents haven't exactly been squaring him up when they do make contact. Chandler has allowed five hits or fewer in each of those seven outings.

There have naturally been growing pains. Chandler's command and efficiency haven't always been perfect, and like virtually every young power pitcher, there are still adjustments to make as hitters learn what he wants to do. But stuff this overwhelming can cover up a lot of imperfections.

Sixteen whiffs on one pitch is more than just a fun statistical oddity. It's evidence that Chandler possesses a legitimate major-league weapon capable of dominating hitters, even when they know it's coming.

The Pirates have spent years accumulating talented young arms. At some point, that talent has to translate into sustainable major league production. Chandler's recent run suggests that process may finally be happening.

And when his four-seam fastball is producing swings and misses at a rate no other pitcher has matched this season, it's becoming increasingly easy to see what Chandler's ceiling could look like.

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