EXCLUSIVE: Behind-the-Scenes of Bubba Chandler’s MLB Debut | Pittsburgh Pirates

EXCLUSIVE: Behind-the-Scenes of Bubba Chandler’s MLB Debut | Pittsburgh Pirates

[Applause] Man, field looks good. [Music] What a beautiful day, guys. False. [Music] What are you going to do? [Music] My man, what’s going on? Congratulations, dude. You too, baby. Look at you. Dapper. Sick. I’ll let you go get dressed and then uh come back. I mean, we got to have some camel, so that’s good. You ready? Let’s go. I’ll see you in a little. [Music] Morning. [Music] It’s a great day. The Pittsburgh Pirates select Bubba Chandler, a right-handed pitcher from North Okone High School. There is a lot going on here with this young man. Everything he does, he does well. If you’re looking for a minor leager who used 2024 to just increase their stock, did anyone do it higher than Bubba Chandler? I mean, just an enormous ceiling on this young man, and he’s real close. Most believe Bubba Chandler’s long-term future is better on the mound. Risers in the upcoming draft. He’s a shortstop. He’s a pitcher and he’s the pride of Bogart, Georgia. Now we have one of the best athletes in the class taking Pirates to draft him as a right-hander. I know there were teams that were even mulling him in the first round as a shortstop. He I think he was the best prospect in this draft. Pittsburgh knew it might take a little time for Chandler’s stuff and athleticism to come together and that time is now. Chandler is one of the more athletic pitchers in the 2021 high school class, which bodess well for his control and command, as do his clean arm action and delivery. The Pirates have an absolute dog in Bubba Chandler. The fast ball is electric. The change up is disgusting. He is going to be so fun to watch for years in Pittsburgh. This snap is something else, man. He’s ready. I know he is. Everybody says that Bubba Chandler’s arm might be the best live arm in all of the minor leagues right now. The stuff is ridiculous. The results match the stuff. He’s still only 22 and he’s the best pitching prospect in all of baseball. Bubba Chandler is going to be in Pittsburgh on Friday. This is the breaking news that we just heard a little bit ago that he will be selected to Pittsburgh’s roster. A long time we’ve waited for this now. It’s a sweet place. This is sweet. I’m not even [Music] Got all [Music] my [Music] But you don’t I think they want to know. What are those? Yeah. [Music] as second wins as relief. His 158 saves in the virus ran first in team history. He’s got 69 and his 94 wins and ranked second in national league history behind only golfer face a member of the 1979 World Series champion [Music] so We twice and Christ [Applause] [Music] for the rejoice. [Music] and the rock [Applause] [Music] the night. [Applause] Oh s that star [Music] [Applause] for the bra. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] All right, it’s time to play ball draft. We have the great grandson of the team. We got the monster. Let’s go. Let’s go, guys. Let’s go. [Music] Thank you. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] What? [Applause] [Music] [Applause] working fast and getting out tonight. Here’s an 02. A swinging a twisting fly ball deep down the left field line. Fam over toward the corner and he’ll make the catch to end the inning. Another tidy inning. Braxton Ashcraft really showing us something for the future of the Pirates. We go to the bottom of the fifth. Five nothing Pirates here on the Pirates Radio Network presented by Iron City at IC Light. Well, we uh saw Braxton Ashcraft leave moments ago and that’s about as official as it gets. Braxton Ashcraft five superb one hit innings. We’ll see the debut of Bubba Chandler. You imagine the butterflies right now for that 22-year-old onto a big league mound for the first time. The top pitching prospect in Major League Baseball. [Music] [Music] Come on. Stop. [Music] [Music] debut number 57. [Applause] Here we go. [Applause] [Music] First pitch 99 miles an hour. He gets the first pitch out of the way. It’s a foul ball. Famously a recruit at Clemson. struck him out with a 100. His first out, his first strike out in the big leagues. 100 miles an hour. How good is this, Ray? A curve ball, two sliders, and then 100 painted on the black right here. Sheesh. [Music] has one of the two hits. The one-two pitch from Bubba Chandler. He got him a 100. Oh yeah. What a start. You picturing your first start? Oh yeah. I told him that. That’s it. He’s facing his first start. One more batter to get warming Bernabel. His first plate appearance. Rookies Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler trying to combine on a threeh hit shut out. Fly ball center field and raise for Johnny Roger. First pirate ever to record a save in his major league debut. And what a debut it is for Bubba Chandler. Wow. Really impressive stuff tonight by Ashcraft and Chandler. Three hits combined over nine innings. No runs. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Hallelujah. Everybody [Applause] [Music] Mr. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Brownie, thank you very much. Well, Bubba entered the ballpark earlier today not knowing not knowing if he would take the mound here this afternoon. Well, he would. He would take the mound and you leave it becoming the first Pittsburgh Pirate to ever earn a save in his major league debut. What kind of emotions? What kind of rush of thoughts are you feeling right now? Oh my gosh, dude. I’ve been dreaming of this day since I can remember. And you know, I just want to give a shout out to my parents. Shout out to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And shout out Pittsburgh. And man, y’all made it everything I could ever dream of. You know, when they said my name when I was in the game, man, I couldn’t hear anything. It was It was unbelievable. So, you know, shout out y’all. And thank you, Bubba. Well done. Good luck sleeping tonight. We’ll see you tomorrow. Yeah. Hey, go Pirates. Come on, baby. Bubba Chandler and the Pittsburgh Pirates victorious tonight. Enjoy the fireworks. Greg Brown, it’s all yours, buddy. [Music] All right. Oh, coach. All right. Hey, [Music] how does it feel? It feels great. you know, kind of everything I’ve dreamed of. You know, like I said, past 22 years, it’s just been I wanted to be on a major league field and, you know, whether it was hitting or pitching, just wanted to be in a game and show what God gave me. What goes through your mind when when that phone rings and they say, “Hey, get hot.” Oh gosh, a lot really. I mean, just like, oh no, like it’s time to go. You know, you can prepare all you want. And you know, me being a starter and coming out of the bullpen today, it’s like not foreign to me. I’ve done it before, but you haven’t done it since spring. So, it’s kind of just like, hey, you know, I stretched around a little bit, got hot, but when they said, hey, you got the next inning, I was like, all right, let’s roll. And that’s what I did. So, when did the steady start to feel real? Uh, probably when I ran out. No, that’s why. Um, when I threw my last couple warm-up pitches and, you know, crowded pretty loud. I was like, okay, this is this is it. But, uh, yeah, I don’t know how I threw a strike first pitch, but I did. They said my name and major league debut. Like this is kind of all I remember and I just blacked out the first name. But I just kind of heard the place go crazy. I had to turn my pitch com up cuz I just couldn’t hear what Henry was putting down. But yeah, man. That was really cool. Something I’ll never forget. I’ll cherish forever. Want to thank the pirates for making a dream come true. Yes, sir. Was it just your parents here or how big? No, a lot of people. I don’t know. A lot of people. There’s a lot

A never-before-seen POV of Bubba Chandler’s MLB debut on August 22, 2025 with exclusive, behind-the-scenes access.

Subscribe to the Pirates YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Pirates?sub_confirmation=1
Get tickets: https://www.mlb.com/pirates/tickets

Join the conversation + follow the Pirates!
Instagram: http://instagram.com/pittsburghpirates
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Pirates
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pirates?lang=en
Facebook: http://facebook.com/Pirates
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/pirates