Bubba Chandler absolutely shut down the Yankees in his latest start, delivering 6.1 innings of pure dominance where he allowed just two batted balls and a single walk. This dude has been one of fantasy baseball’s biggest headaches all season, rocking a brutal 4.77 ERA before this game and racking up way too many walks. Seriously, it’s been a tough watch, with the undeniably talented young Pirates starter missing shockingly few bats for someone with his stuff. But Wednesday night? That was different.
The Turnaround We’ve Been Waiting For?
Before this start, it felt like we were all waiting for Chandler to figure things out. His previous good starts never turned into sustained success, and that frustrating 4.77 ERA spoke volumes about his struggles. But silencing Yankees bats for over six innings, giving up just two batted balls, and walking only one batter? That’s just his fourth start all season with one or fewer walks. That’s a huge step. Was it just one good start? Yeah, it probably was. But you know what? This one felt especially promising. He was getting strikes on a ridiculous 68% of his pitches, a mark way higher than his usual, and he hammered the zone with a 50% zone rate overall. When a pitcher is struggling with command, seeing those numbers pop up is a massive signal.
The Pitch That Changed Everything (For One Night, Anyway)
So, what was the secret sauce? His slider. This wasn’t the usual Chandler slider. Wednesday’s version came in 1.7 mph harder than normal, while his four-seamer was up only a tiny 0.4 mph and his changeup was actually down 1.1 mph. Even wilder, that slider had four inches less drop, pushing it deep into “cutter territory.” Now, a pitch like that might not get as many swings and misses, but if it helps him find the strike zone more consistently, that’s a trade-off I’m all for, especially right now. The biggest issue for Chandler this season has been those walks, and this new approach with his slider feels like step one of a multi-step plan to fix him. You gotta set that baseline where he can throw strikes, avoid the control issues, and then build the rest of his arsenal.
We still need to see Chandler missing bats consistently. His four-seamer did some work on Wednesday, but to truly become a front-line guy, he’ll need more. Whether that means splitting this new cutter-ish variation off from his older, slower slider for whiffs, or developing his sweeper and curveball (which he didn’t even throw against the Yankees), the work isn’t done. His 10.1% swinging strike rate is still shockingly poor for a guy with his stuff. So, while this start was a huge flash of potential, I can’t say he’s a strong add on the waiver wire just yet. But man, it gave us something to truly look forward to. Let’s see if he can build on it in his next outing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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