Bubba Chandler made Pirates fans' biggest worry go away in MLB debut

Bubba Chandler finally debuted with the Pirates this weekend after a long season in Triple-A. The fact that he was in the minor leagues all year is slightly frustrating, given his start in April and May, but he did fall into a slump in the summer. Shaky control was ultimately what hurt him in his journey to the big leagues. Given his short Triple-A starts, his control was definitely a concern to fans, and he completely changed their mind in his first outing.

As Chandler recorded the first save in a major league debut in Pirates history, he walked just zero batters through four innings. He also threw just 40 pitches, and 29 of them were for strikes, averaging just 10 pitches an inning and a 72.5% overall strike rate. That is pinpoint accuracy with a 100 mph fastball - and great effectiveness.

Control was an issue for Chandler in Triple-A, posting a BB/9 of 4.77. Last season across two levels, it was just 3.08. The concern was valid ,of course. That cannot happen in the big leagues. He got away with it slightly in the minor leagues, but he was consistently getting knocked out of games before the fifth inning. Perhaps his brilliant debut lends a little credence to the "he was just getting bored and frustrated down below" theory?

Bubba Chandler shuts down control worries in impressive major league debut with Pirates.

Chandler did not start this game for that reason. The Pirates' goal was to break the rookie into the big leagues in a lower pressure role. That obviously was a success in the first go around, but after what he proved, maybe he should start a game or two. The only problem is there is not really a spot for him to start. Braxton Ashcraft has earned more starts, Johan Oviedo is back and looked great, and of course Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller are not going to the bullpen. Mike Burrows could be flipped to a new role, but he hasn't even been that bad, either.

The young pitching just keeps on coming in Pittsburgh, but the offense just keeps lagging behind. When thinking ahead to 2026, the Pirates desperately need help offensively to once again pair with one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. This pitching group is truly special, and it is a shame this organization has yet to complement it with a competent offense.