Pirates' No. 1 prospect moves just one step away from the big leagues

The Pirates' consensus No. 1 prospect Bubba Chandler is on the move for the first time in 2024 with a promotion to Triple-A. Chandler joins another highly ranked prospect in Thomas Harrington as the second pitching prospect this week to join the Indianapolis Indians.

Pirates' Bubba Chandler gets called up to Indianapolis Indians after strong season with the Altoona Curve

The Altoona Curve pitching staff was having an incredible season altogether, but in just one week, they've lost two top prospects in Harrington and Chandler, along with a reliever on helium alert in Luis Peralta, who was dealt to Colorado in exchange for Jalen Beeks.

Chandler was having a very solid season and was even chosen to the MLB Futures Game. He has dealt with forearm issues this season, but aside from that, he has displayed lots of impressive tools on the mound.

This season with Altoona, Chandler has a 6-7 record with an earned run average of 3.70 in 80.1 innings pitched. He's struck out 94 batters. Opponents are batting just .189 against him, and his WHIP sits at 1.01. This has not been just luck, either, as his FIP is at 3.27 and his xFIP is at 3.32.

Walks have been an issue for Chandler in his entire career, but he has a career-best base on balls per nine innings of 2.91. His previous best was 4.33, a full walk higher than this year. Limiting those free passes has really helped the development of Chandler, and is why he is on his way to the next level.

The 21-year-old right-hander has an upper 90s fastball that has a lot of life. He also brings a slider and curveball that has gotten lots of swings and misses. His changeup took the longest to develop, but it is also a very good pitch when he has command for it. Having all four pitches has helped Chandler tremendously in his minor league career.

If Chandler continues to impress in Triple-A, he could have a reliever opportunity with the Pirates during their playoff push. The bullpen just added Jalen Beeks, but there is still room for improvement internally. This season has been very special for Chandler, but now has the chance to get even better with Indianapolis.