Bubba Chandler Gets Clear Prediction On Making Pirates Opening Day Roster

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been active this offseason to bolster their roster, but the team may also give some young players a chance.

One of the biggest questions entering the Pirates camp is whether top prospects Konnor Griffin and Bubba Chandler make the roster. Chandler is the 11th-best prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and he appeared in seven games last season.

However, Chandler still has to earn a spot on the roster, but prospect analyst Jim Challis of MLB.com believes it’s a 100 percent chance that he will make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.

“Come on, they can’t jerk that guy around anymore,” Challis wrote in an article published on Tuesday. “I think he could have made the team earlier in the 2025 season and got worse as he languished in Triple-A.”

Jonathan Mayo, meanwhile, gave Chandler a 90 percent chance of making the roster.

“I’m not going to say total slam dunk, just because they have a lot of pitching,” Mayo wrote. “But I’d be shocked if he’s not in the rotation. It’s not the same situation as Skenes. He was not ready last year.”

Chandler went 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA in seven games, including four starts last season. If he does make the Pirates roster, he likely will be the team’s fourth or fifth starter to ease him in.

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