As Chandler faces Phillies, command remains the story
Bubba Chandler takes the ball this afternoon carrying the kind of statistical profile that explains both the intrigue and the concern. Through eight starts, the Pirates right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.62 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 39 innings, numbers that don’t just suggest inconsistency so much as identify exactly where it’s coming from: too many walks.
Chandler’s rankings among starters with at least 30 innings: • 15.6% walk rate (2nd worst) • 6.23 walks per nine innings (2nd worst) • 5.45 xFIP (4th worst)
"Bubba’s gotta use his stuff in the zone, much like Ashcraft did last night," Don Kelly said. "I think he threw 100 pitches, 76 for strikes, getting ahead and I think Bubba's got to do the same thing."
The fastball averages 98.5 mph, elite velocity by any standard, and his changeup has flashed as a real weapon. That’s the appeal. There’s still swing-and-miss in the profile, with 34 strikeouts and a respectable .226 expected batting average against him, but the command hasn’t allowed the arsenal to play to its full shape.
"I think it is a fine line to use it down there at times to stun because when he’s right, the fastball is going to be mostly effective up to get swing and miss," Kelly said. "I just don’t think we can consistently live at the top. He’s gotta mix it up and throw some down."
Left-handed hitters have done noticeably more damage against him than right-handers so far with a .480 slugging percentage compared to .324, and for a Phillies lineup that can stack quality left-side at-bats, that’s worth watching from the start.
THE ASYLUM
As Chandler faces Phillies, command remains the story
Bubba Chandler takes the ball this afternoon carrying the kind of statistical profile that explains both the intrigue and the concern. Through eight starts, the Pirates right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.62 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 39 innings, numbers that don’t just suggest inconsistency so much as identify exactly where it’s coming from: too many walks.
Chandler’s rankings among starters with at least 30 innings:
• 15.6% walk rate (2nd worst)
• 6.23 walks per nine innings (2nd worst)
• 5.45 xFIP (4th worst)
"Bubba’s gotta use his stuff in the zone, much like Ashcraft did last night," Don Kelly said. "I think he threw 100 pitches, 76 for strikes, getting ahead and I think Bubba's got to do the same thing."
The fastball averages 98.5 mph, elite velocity by any standard, and his changeup has flashed as a real weapon. That’s the appeal. There’s still swing-and-miss in the profile, with 34 strikeouts and a respectable .226 expected batting average against him, but the command hasn’t allowed the arsenal to play to its full shape.
"I think it is a fine line to use it down there at times to stun because when he’s right, the fastball is going to be mostly effective up to get swing and miss," Kelly said. "I just don’t think we can consistently live at the top. He’s gotta mix it up and throw some down."
Left-handed hitters have done noticeably more damage against him than right-handers so far with a .480 slugging percentage compared to .324, and for a Phillies lineup that can stack quality left-side at-bats, that’s worth watching from the start.
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