Bubba Chandler heads into his fourth start with the Pittsburgh Pirates after turning a blunt self-critique into a quieter, sharper outing against the Chicago Cubs. The 23-year-old rookie was set to get the Pirates off to a strong start in their weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who were seeing him for the first time.
That matters because Chandler has been one of the most important pieces of Pittsburgh's early season picture, even while the command has not fully come together. Through his first three starts of the 2026 campaign, he was 0-1 with 14.0 innings and 12 walks, a number the Pirates could not ignore even as they were pleased with his production overall.
The tension was laid bare after his start against the San Diego Padres, when Chandler said, "Hits are fine, it's stuff that's gonna happen, but not competing in the zone is just pathetic," then added, "It's eating at me, and I'm gonna fix it, clean it up." He followed that with a promise that stuck with the clubhouse: "I've got five more days before I throw again. It won't happen again."
His next outing offered a cleaner response. Against the Cubs, Chandler cut his walks to two after allowing six in his first start and four in his second, and he struck out four. It was not a finished product, but it was a real correction from the problem he had put in plain view.
Now the Pirates are asking for the next step. Tampa Bay gets its first look at Chandler, and Pittsburgh is counting on him to steady the weekend from the opening game. For a rookie still working through the control problems that have defined his first month, the difference between frustration and momentum may come down to whether that improved zone command holds up one more time.