Pirates delaying Bubba Chandler’s promotion is getting harder to justify after latest outing

The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to fall further beneath .500, now at 14 games back. Their schedule does not appear to be getting any easier, and they need to win now before it's too late. Pittsburgh is holding themselves back and not maximizing their chances of success by holdingtop prospect Bubba Chandler down. After his last outing in Triple-A, it's clearer than ever that the Pirates are hurting themselves by having him pitch anywhere else but the big league team.

Chandler just tossed his eighth start of the season, and even without his best command, he still showed his worth with incredible stuff+ metrics. He went five shutout innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and two hit batters while striking out eight. He did allow too many baserunners, but the metrics are the most significant outcome of this outing.

He threw his fastball 64% of the time, generating a 50% whiff rate and a 29.4% chase on the pitch. The tjStuff+ on this pitch was 113. The MLB average is 101.6, making this pitch remarkably effective. His fastball also tops out at 101 mph, if that was not impressive enough.

Chandler also has a slider, changeup, and curveball in the mix. His slider has a 110 tjStuff+ rating and his changeup comes in with a 105. Both are also above average pitches in that category. His curveball was rated a 100, but even though it is less than exceptional, that is fine for a fourth pitch that goes with this great group of pitches.

TjStuff+ is a newer stat being used to evaluate the quality of pitches. It's more of a calculation of whether pitches are more effective than others, independent of command and control. It takes in all the metrics such as velocity, spin, and break to determine if a pitch is more valuable towards getting whiffs - and, most importantly, outs.

Bubba Chandler's pitching arsenal is so impressive right now that it's tough to reason why he isn't with the Pirates.

On the year, Chandler has put together a 1.91 ERA, alongside a 2.93 FIP and a K/9 of 13.36. His WHIP sits at a 1.00, coming from a walk rate of 10.7% and opposing batting average of .168. He was previously named the pitcher of the month in April and has done everything he can to get to the majors. The gap to save a year of service has hit already, so he should be up here by now.

Getting Chandler to Pittsburgh should push Carmen Mlodzinski to the bullpen, and just those two moves alone would help these team out a lot. Offense is the bigger issue, but rolling with the best options in the pitching staff will make its mark. Ben Cherington, you're on the clock here. Promote one of your best pitchers.