Bubba Chandler
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| Photo: Bucs Dugout |
Bio:
Age: 21
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Switch/Right
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia
Draft Profile: 3rd round, 72nd pick of the 2021 draft by Pittsburgh Pirates
Drafted Out of: North Oconee High School
Career Stat Line: 232.2 IP 17-12 W/L 3.91 ERA 282:105 K:BB .219 AVG. 1.26 WHIP
Seems like every other Minor League Spotlight we do features special talents hailing from the state of Georgia. This week sticks with that trend, featuring Pittsburgh's Roy Chandler.
Growing up in Bogart, Georgia, the Pirates' top prospect was bestowed the nickname of Bubba at an early age from his older sisters Jordan and Cody-- a moniker that follows him to this day. The youngest Chandler was a busy child, excelling at everything he put his mind to. From hunting, to football, to baseball and everything else in between, if the kid wanted to get it done, it got done-- and well.
After suffering a broken arm during his freshman year at North Oconee, it was full steam ahead for the multi-sport athlete. Chandler was initially on the NCAA radar strictly as a baseball prospect, committing to the University of Georgia to continue his playing career as a sophomore in 2019. But a tremendous campaign on the gridiron the following fall shot him into the limelight.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a 0-star quarterback was receiving legit D-1 scholarship offers. Western Kentucky, Troy and Charlotte were among the initial schools to offer him a free ride on the football field, but it was really on once coaches Clemson got wind of the local product.
COVID made it impossible for the Tigers' coaching staff to evaluate Bubba in person, but between his game tape and Zoom calls with the recruit, they were more than confident in their pursuit. The junior reneged his commitment to the Bulldogs, instead opting for Clemson, where he could pursue both sports under esteemed coaches Dabo Swinney and Monte Lee.
Whether he would make it to college ball or not would remain to be seen. The senior posted a .383/8/35 line at the dish, while going 8-1 with a 1.25 ERA on the mound with 19.3 K/9, catching scout's eyes as a potential two-way monster. He made it known to major league teams as well as Clemson that he would not pursue professional baseball for a deal that netted him any less than $2 million dollars after taxes.
July 9th came for the 21st ranked amateur, per Prospectslive.com, but it was a day met with disappointment. Teams were wary of Chandler's desire to play shortstop and pitcher, as well as his strong commitment to the Tigers, resulting in the first two rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft coming and going with no team willing to agree to his stipulations.
Then the Pirates came calling with the 72nd pick. They'd liked what they saw out of the hyper-competitive two-way player and were willing to give him a chance to chase his dream on the mound and in the field. The two parties agreed to a $3 million dollar signing bonus, well above the slot value of $870,000, and Bubba Chandler was officially a professional baseball player.
The organization sent their new prospect down to the Florida Complex for 11 games to let him test his bat out. Batting mainly out of the DH slot, Bubba went just 5-30 with a long ball and 2 RBI during the short season. He also made an error on one of his eight opportunities at shortstop.
Pittsburgh wouldn't have Chandler get onto the mound until the following year, assigning him once again to rookie ball down in Florida. In 15.1 FCL innings, he'd strikeout 11 while only allowing 3 scoreless hits. His work at the plate improved as well, posting a .231/3/9 line in his 26 at bats, plus a .444 OBP.
A highly anticipated move up to Low-A Bradenton for the second half was met with some struggles in both areas however. The 19-year old, who was an average of 3 years younger than the competition, saw his ERA balloon to 4.15 in 8 starts while his average dipped to .184 in 30 games at DH. That offseason, he decided to commit strictly to pitching.
The heightened focus didn't immediately bare fruit on the diamond, as Bubba was rocking a 6.07 ERA after the first half at A+ Greensboro. Changing up his lifetime routine as a two-way player to a starter surely had an impact on this, as the righty was adjusting to not being out there everyday and instead having to focus more time honing his craft and prepping for starts.
By the second half of 2023, the results of his efforts were starting to show, as Chandler lowered his ERA down to 4.75 and earned a move up to Altoona. He'd go on to win his only AA start post-promotion, striking out 8 and allowing just 1 hit on 69 pitches against Harrisburg. Nice.
2024 has been even kinder to the Georgia native. While still pitching exclusively for the Curve, the 49th ranked MLB prospect's gone 6-7 with a 3.70 ERA. On top of that, he's cut his BB/9 rates in half while trimming his BAA to the lowest it's been since rookie ball. His efforts earned him a nomination to the MLB Future's Game, where he unfortunately did not get an opportunity to pitch.
Our guy picked up the win last night over the Richmond Flying Squirrels, outpitching fellow 2021 draftee Will Bednar. 3 hits, no walks, 1 earned run and 7 strikeouts over 7 innings...have a day kid! AAA will be calling soon for this rising star, make sure to keep an eye on his journey to the bigs.
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@Choppinglines
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