The Pittsburgh Pirates have assembled an impressive collection of young talent over the last few years, especially on the mound. They have one of the best farm systems in baseball and are loaded with rising stars.
Not surprisingly, the Pirates were one of the few teams with multiple players named to The Athletic‘s MLB All-Under-25 Team on Wednesday (subscription required).
Stephen Nesbitt selected two Pittsburgh pitchers, Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler, to the team, putting Skenes in the rotation and Chandler in the bullpen.
As the reigning NL Cy Young winner and a two-time All-Star, Skenes is an obvious choice. He’s already arguably the best pitcher in baseball and ranked as the top starting pitcher on Nesbitt’s imaginary team.
“Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, returns as the ace of the All-Under-25 Team,” Nesbitt wrote. “Last year, he led all qualified pitchers in ERA, FIP, home runs per nine innings, while also leading the NL in WHIP. Barring injury, he’s almost guaranteed to return to this list in 2027.”
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Nesbitt also had Skenes’ rotation-mate Jared Jones, 24, as an honorable mention at starting pitcher despite missing the entire 2025 season with injuries.
Meanwhile, Chandler made the team as a reliever even though he’ll likely start the year in Pittsburgh’s rotation. He’s considered a 2026 breakout candidate.
“Chandler should have a permanent spot in the Pirates rotation now, after spending most of last season in the minors. His average fastball velocity: 98.9 mph,” Nesbitt wrote.
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Given that Skenes and Chandler are only 23, they’ll both be eligible to make the team again next year. They’ll likely be joined by Konnor Griffin, who’s only 19 and has yet to make his Major League debut.
In other words, Pittsburgh’s future looks pretty bright.
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