MLB.com has just released an updated top 100 ranking off all the prospects in baseball, as well as an updated list of every team’s top 30 list of prospects. Over the past couple of seasons the Pirates’ pitching prospect Bubba Chandler has been a prominent figure in these rankings. Even though he’s a top ten prospect in baseball and within the Pirates’ organization, Chandler remains in the Minor Leagues, and he is feeling slighted at this current juncture.

Chandler has obviously put in plenty of work in the Minor Leagues, and many thought he would be promoted to the Pirates if not at the beginning of the season then surely at some point in 2025. However, the team has promoted other prospects in favor of Chandler, with Mike Burrows being called up to the pitch in the team’s rotation, and Braxton Ashcraft shining in his new role coming out of the bullpen. Even still though Chandler seemed poised to take on the major league level this year after a great 2024 season. Chandler sat down with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and shared his feeling towards the situation he finds himself in.

“It’s frustrating,” Chandler said. “ I’ve thrown 100 innings every year for the last three years. I’ve been ready and know I can help the big-league team.”

Pirates’ General Manager Ben Cherington addressed the topic on his weekly radio interview on 93.7 The Fan, and made it clear that the organization wants to see Chandler in Pittsburgh, but did not divulge on any kind of information regarding a timetable.

“It’s still our desire to see him in Pittsburgh,” Cherington said. “I’ll still bet on that happening at some point. He’s incredibly important to our future. He’s got a chance to be a very, very good starting pitcher.”

Cherington was asked about the vacancy in the team’s rotation following the Bailey Falter trade, but made it clear that the team is not going to force someone out of their position if there is no pressing reason. Of course since the trade, Ashcraft has seen some time as a starter, and Johan Oviedo has also returned from injury. In Cherington’s eyes, there is currently not and hasn’t been a justifiable reason to promote Chandler.

The 22-year old pitcher hasn’t made matters any better with his play on the field being largely inconsistent this season. In 2025, Chandler has a 5-5 record, with a 3.82 ERA. There have been points in the year where he has had a hard time routinely finding the strike zone and has gotten himself into some jams with long innings and giving up walks. His most recent outing saw Indianapolis lose their third straight game, where Chandler pitched just four innings, where he allowed three runs on six hits and gave up two walks.

In his last five starts, Chandler has allowed 31 hits, 11 walks and 18 runs. He is clearly far removed from the dominant stretch he had in Triple-A just a season ago. With that being said, Cherington still believes this kind of adversity is only going to better prepare Chandler for Major League Baseball.

“To some degree, I believe the challenges that he’s gone through, long-term, will end up being helpful,” Cherington said. “I always feel a little better when a player experiences some adversity in the minor leagues before they do so in the major leagues, because you know it will happen in the major leagues. So in some ways, it doesn’t bother me that he’s been challenged a little bit.”

Cherington was able to provide some slight insight into the thought process behind choosing not to promote Chandler, with a lot of it chocking up to inexperience and wanting to maximize his talents to the fullest extent.

“He’s really young,” Cherington said of Chandler in late May. “He’s only been a full-time starter for basically two years coming into this spring training. And, again, we’re trying to anticipate a full season for him. What’s that going to look like? So we chose to go slower.”

All signs are now pointing to Chandler making his big league debut in 2026, joining a strong rotation with the likes of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Jared Jones.