In this post, which the powers that be (me) have started calling: Searching For Sugar, Man. Not Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary that won the Academy Award. This is putting Paul Skenes into a giant sugar packet and searching for more of that. Could have called it Searching for the Next Paul Skenes, I suppose. In this Searching For Sugar, Man, it’s just me flipping through minor league stats for a great pitcher. As I said in my Jackson Jobe fantasy the other day, it is going to be very difficult to find another Paul Skenes, since we’ve played roughly one hundred-ish years of baseball and there’s been about five rookie pitchers who have been as good as Skenes. No big deal, just go out and give us something we only see every 20 or so years. As mentioned earlier this year when discussing Skenes, I tried to come up with the best rookie seasons for pitchers, and I think it’s 1. Mark Fidyrich 2. Fernando Valenzuela (RIP) 3. Dwight Gooden 4. Tom Seaver 5. Jose Fernandez, 6. John Montefusco, then Paul Skenes. Bubba Chandler could be great and worth rostering for fantasy, and not come anywhere close to approaching that list. So, what can we expect from Bubba Chandler for 2025 fantasy baseball?
First, here’s some clips of Bubba Chandler:
No big deal, just Bubba Chandler taking a perfect game into the 6th with 10 punchies for the @indyindians ?
The @Pirates‘ top-ranked prospect has a 1.59 ERA since arriving at the Minors’ highest level last month. pic.twitter.com/zIB0EE4swp
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 11, 2024
Then, the dazzles continued:
Bubba Chandler’s (@Pirates No. 1 prospect) numbers across seven Triple-A @indyindians starts after 8 punchouts Tuesday night:
?? 1.83 ERA
? 12.4 K/9
?? .183 BAA pic.twitter.com/zFZYji4u6Y— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 18, 2024
And, the well-attended final clip:
.@Bubbachandler_ is rolling.
5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K on 69 pitches, 51 strikes. pic.twitter.com/KTPSp9wj87
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) September 8, 2023
Quite a turnout to see the Altoona Curve in that last clip. I had to quickly google to see if there was a pandemic in Altoona in 2023. There wasn’t from what I saw. Bubba Chandler’s Triple-A stats were mentioned in that 2nd clip, I won’t repeat them here. That was with a 3.4 BB/9. Chandler also saw velocity increases, up 1.4 MPH, and increased extension, while lowering his release height, and his speedball was already sitting 97. Goofy. His 87 MPH change has become a problem and his slider is a WIP, work in progress (acronyms aren’t great when you have to spell them out). When I watch his clips, I see a guy working hard. That’s not great either. These are quibbles. I’m just separating him from Skenes-like expectations.
Bubba Chandler just turned 22 years old and can be a dynamite number two. His command has me a little concerned. He looks like he could be a Hunter Greene-type who takes a little bit to find his MLB footing. Then you have to assume he’s going to start the year in the minors because: Pirates. Feels like a guy who will be a last-round selection in 12-team leagues, and maybe a higher flier (dude, I got rhymes!) in draft and holds, as we await his arrival. Skenes’s ETA was May 11th, so when is Bubba Chandler? Are you thinking May or June? What if I said Opening Day? Look at what the Pirates did with Jared Jones, starting him from the jump. The Pirates might see Skenes and think they want to save him for themselves and stall his arbitration, while Jones and Chandler are fine to start the year. That might not be the craziest thought. Going out on a limb but I say that’s what the Pirates do. That limb is like the extended arm of a 6’2″, 200-pound pitcher named Bubba. For 2025 fantasy baseball, I’ll give Bubba Chandler projections of 8-10/3.95/1.36/153 in 138 IP with a chance for more.
