The Pittsburgh Pirates have begun to shift the momentum as a franchise lately, and a huge reason for the changing of the tides is thanks to Paul Skenes proving to be a superstar.
He’s been better than advertised through two seasons, winning the NL Cy Young in his second season, and having a 1.96 ERA over the last two years in 55 starts.
But Skenes might not be the only superstar pitching prospect the Pirates have. Bubba Chandler, who’s already made his MLB debut, is predicted by ESPN’s AJ Bass to have a breakout year in the Majors, winning the NL Rookie of the Year as Skenes did in 2024.
Pirates predicted to get NL ROY from Bubba Chandler in Paul Skenes-esque season
“Actually, Bubba Chandler (No. 12) will win NL Rookie of the Year,” ESPN predicts. “He ended up winning four times in seven appearances – one more win than Paul Skenes managed over that same period.”
Chandler has already shown some ability in the Majors; other than his rough nine earned run outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, he was shutting down teams last year.
“Is he that good?” Bass writes, “Probably not and there will be growing pains to be sure, but throw away his likely nerve-riddled debut start against the Brewers (0 ER, 2 2/3 IP) and Chandler’s ERA was a very Skenes-ian 1.57.”
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If Chandler can carry that 1.57 ERA over to 2026 and put up such a season for the Pirates, he and Skenes could make up one of MLB’s best pitching duos, and both would be pre-arbitration players.
Reaching the heights of Skenes and his 1.97 ERA 2025 Cy Young season across 32 starts will be near impossible for Chandler. But, the potential is there, and even if it’s not up to Skenes best, Chandler could put together an award-winning rookie season in 2026.
He’s the 12th-ranked prospect in MLB by ESPN, and the 23-year-old right-hander might be on the verge of a major breakout in 2026 if he carries the momentum he had in 2025 to the start of 2026.
