You don’t have to squint hard to see that Bubba Chandler is taking his game to the next level. On Thursday night, Chandler put on a show in Altoona, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings while striking out 11. He struck out five batters in a row on two different stretches of the game, striking out the side in the third and sixth innings.
Chandler has set career highs in strikeouts in each of the last two starts, with 21 strikeouts and two walks in 13.2 innings. His last start went seven shutout innings, and Chandler finished one out shy of repeating that innings total this time around.
One month ago, Chandler was given a break after feeling some discomfort in his forearm. He walked eight batters across 4.1 innings over two starts in mid-May before the break. Since his return, he has a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings, with a 38:4 K/BB ratio. The reduction in walks has been good to see. He has 28 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over his last three starts, showing more dominance with his upper-90s fastball and his secondary stuff.
Bubba Chandler turns in one of his most dominant starts at Double-A 📜
MLB's No. 63 prospect (@Pirates) strikes out a career-high 11 batters in 6 2/3 innings for the @AltoonaCurve. pic.twitter.com/Dofr6I9drk
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 28, 2024
Chandler recorded six strikeouts on his fastball on Thursday. The fastball gets up to the upper 90s, with good action at the top of the zone. Four of his strikeouts were on sliders, which has tilt that starts in the middle of the zone and drops to the bottom, playing off the fastball. He also had one strikeout on a changeup against a lefty.
This weekend, Paul Skenes will graduate prospect status. At that point, Chandler will be the top prospect in the Pirates system. He’s also a guy who can add to the future rotation of Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Jared Jones, pushing the Pirates closer to one of the best rotations in baseball.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS lost game one 4-3
- RHP Quinn Priester: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
- C Joey Bart: 3-for-4
- 2B Liover Peguero: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
- DH Joshua Palacios: 2-for-3, BB
- SS Alika Williams: 1-for-4, RBI
Quinn Priester made a rehab start, throwing four innings. Joey Bart played his first complete game behind the plate. Liover Peguero hit his fifth home run of the season. The Pirates saw good production from a lot of their depth options in this first game.
STATCAST HEROES
The home run from Peguero was hit 106.7 MPH and traveled 416 feet. Alike Williams had two batted balls with an exit velocity in excess of 100 MPH. Priester didn’t have much swing and miss, with two whiffs on 18 swings against the sinker, and one whiff on five swings against the changeup.
INDIANAPOLIS lost game two 5-4
- RHP Jake Woodford: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
- DH Seth Beer: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
- SS Liover Peguero: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, RBI
- CF Gilberto Celestino: 1-for-4, 2B
- 2B Alika Williams: 0-for-1, 3 BB
Jake Woodford had a good start, continuing a nice run in Triple-A since joining the Pirates earlier this month. In his first three starts, Woodford has a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings, with 21 strikeouts and zero walks. He was signed as a depth option, and is looking like a decent option so far.
STATCAST HEROES
Woodford had seven whiffs on 14 swings against his sweeper. He also had three whiffs on 13 swings against his cutter. He led with a sinker that wasn’t a swing and miss pitch, but which he threw for strikes. Four of his pitches led to a 32% CSW or better.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
ALTOONA won 6-4, led by Bubba Chandler’s start.
- C Carter Bins: 3-for-4, HR, RBI
- 3B Charles McAdoo: 1-for-3, 3B, BB
- CF Sammy Siani: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
- SS Tsung-Che Cheng: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- LF Yoyner Fajardo: 1-for-4
I’m always impressed when Carter Bins can catch a game like Chandler threw, while still having energy and focus for multiple hits, and power. He hit his sixth homer of the year on Thursday, as part of a three hit night. Charles McAdoo continues hitting in Double-A, picking up his first triple. Sammy Siani hit his sixth double since being moved up to Altoona in early May.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
GREENSBORO won 4-2 in 10 innings.
- RHP Derek Diamond: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
- RHP Brandan Bidios: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
- SS Jack Brannigan: 2-for-5
- 1B Josiah Sightler: 2-for-4, 2B
- 2B Termarr Johnson: 1-for-4, BB, RBI
Derek Diamond had a good start, showing control and only allowing one run on a solo homer as he pitched into the sixth inning. Brandan Bidios had one of his best outings in relief, recording five strikeouts to get Greensboro to the eighth inning in a tie game. The Grasshoppers scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning. The first run scored on a wild pitch. Jack Brannigan knocked in a run with a single, followed by a bases loaded walk from Hudson Head for the third run.
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
BRADENTON won 6-3
- RHP Hung-Leng Chang: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
- 1B Esmerlyn Valdez: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
- SS Keiner Delgado: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB
- RF Braylon Bishop: 1-for-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB
- DH Eddy Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 2B
The Marauders got one of the best starts of the year from Hung-Leng Chang, who has a 3.83 ERA in 56.1 innings as a starter in Single-A. Keiner Delgado hit his fifth homer of the season, while stealing his tenth base. Braylon Bishop hit his fifth double and stole two bases, giving him seven on the year.
STATCAST HEROES
The hardest hit of the game for the Marauders was a 106.8 MPH single from Esmerlyn Valdez. The double from Bishop was hit 104.9 MPH. Delgado’s home run went 356 feet at 96.8 MPH. Chang had three whiffs on his sinker, four on his four-seam, and two on his slider. The sinker and four-seam were both at 30% CSW or higher.
ROOKIE: FCL PIRATES
FCL PIRATES won 5-2
- RHP Zander Mueth: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- RHP Clevari Tejada: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- DH Tony Blanco Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
- C Richard Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
- LF Ewry Espinal: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
Zander Mueth made his third straight start of five innings without an earned run. He did allow an unearned run in this game. Last year’s 67th overall pick has an 0.98 ERA in 18.1 innings during the month of June, with a 21:8 K/BB ratio. Clevari Tejada pitched the final four innings in relief. He has allowed two earned runs in 7.1 innings over his last two appearances, with a 10:3 K/BB.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES BLACK
DSL PIRATES BLACK won 18-5
- RF Bralyn Brazoban: 3-for-5, 2B, BB, 3 RBI
- DH Kendrick Herrera: 3-for-4, BB, 4 RBI
- RHP Wifrailyn Jaquez: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
The DSL Pirates Black had a big day on offense, led by six combined hits and seven combined RBIs from the first two hitters in the lineup, Brazoban and Herrera. Wifrailyn Jaquez made his fourth start, and now has a 2.45 ERA and a 9:5 K/BB in 11 innings. All three players are in their rookie professional seasons. Edwarli Brioso and Frankeli Mesta both hit their first homers of the year. Mesta was also signed this year, while Brioso is in his second season.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES GOLD
DSL PIRATES GOLD won 11-3
- C Samuel Escudero: 4-for-5, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI
- LHP Keuri Almonte: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
- RHP Adolfo Oviedo: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Samuel Escudero hit for the cycle to lead the DSL Pirates Gold to a win. Escudero singled in the first inning, hit his second homer of the year in the third, doubled in the fifth, and completed the cycle in the sixth with an RBI triple. Keuri Almonte and Adolfo Oviedo combined to allow three runs in seven innings, with a 12:2 K/BB ratio.
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 6:45 PM – RHP Luis Cessa (2-2, 3.99)
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:00 PM – RHP Thomas Harrington (0-1, 3.11)
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:05 PM – LHP Hunter Barco (2-1, 3.46)
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – RHP Aaron Shortridge (0-0, -.–)
- Rookie: FCL Pirates, 6:35 PM – TBD
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Black, 11:00 AM – TBD
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Gold, 11:00 AM – TBD
