In the eyes of industry professionals, the Pirates have two realistic favorites for the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year Award. 

According to an MLB Pipeline Executive poll, Konnor Griffin, who is widely-viewed as the game’s top overall prospect, has the third-best chance (16.3%) of winning the award and Bubba Chandler has the fourth-best (7%). The two players ahead of them are Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (25.6) and Cardinals prospect and former West Virginia University standout JJ Wetherholt (30.2%):

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Griffin and Chandler are the top two prospects in the Pirates’ system. The former is coming off a special first year in pro ball, one in which he hit .333 with 21 home runs and stole 65 bases, all while playing defense worthy of an MILB Gold Glove Award. Griffin made stops at low Class A Bradenton, high Class A Greensboro and Class AA Altoona, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he earns a spot on the Pirates’ opening day roster. 

As for Chandler, there’s a more than realistic chance that he opens the season in the Pirates’ starting rotation. He put together a rather strong seven-appearance stint with the big-league club at the end of 2025, sporting a 4-1 record with a 4.02 ERA that was inflated by one particular bad start and a 0.93 WHIP. He held hitters to a .214 average and struck out 31 batters while walking four in 31 1/3 innings. 

In addition to being seen as a rookie of the year candidate, Chandler is also viewed as the second-best (23.3%) pitching prospect in the game, according to executives. Again, McLean (25.6%) sits ahead of him in the poll. 

Seth Hernandez, the Pirates’ first-round pick in 2025 and the No. 3-ranked prospect in the system, tied with Philadelphia’s Andrew Painter for the fourth amount of votes (9.3%) in this category:

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Whether or not Griffin and Chandler actually contend for the top rookie award at season’s end, it’s obvious that executives around the game see them as legitimate stars in the making. Griffin proved to be in the right path with a dominant minor-league showing in 2025 and Chandler showed encouraging signs, especially with his improved command once he arrived in the big leagues. 

As spring training draws closer and the 2026 season nears, it’s clear that the Pirates would absolutely benefit from them performing at a level worth of rookie of the year consideration.