Chandler's Struggles: High Walks, Low Strikes

0:00On April 7, Pittsburgh pirates young gun Bubba Chandler, the 23-year-old starter full of promise, had a rough night in the series opener. Against the San Diego Padres at PNC Park, on April 6th, he lasted just 4.1 innings and a 5-0 loss, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks. This season's off to a shaky start for Chandler, who's already issued 10 walks over 10.1 innings, including 6 against the Reds on March 31st. That's pushing his walk rate sky high at over 10.9 innings, a far cry from last year's debut, where he kept free passes low with just 4 in. 31 innings. Chandler didn't hold back after the game, calling his command pathetic and admitting he's setting the team up for failure by burning through the bullpen too early. He's frustrated because hits happened with his 99 mile per hour fastball, but the walks are killing drives and piling on pressure. Looking back, Chandler bounced strong from a nightmare MLB debut last September, where he gave up 9 runs, going on to dominate in his next 3.

1:03Starts. His slider and change-up showed promise against the Padres with 3 strikeouts, and his minor league walk rate stayed solid under 5 per 9. He's locked in on simplifying throw strikes, trust off speed stuff more, and compete without fear. With a healthy body and a long season ahead, expect Chandler to clean this up and get back to prospect type real soon. You've been listening to MLB News today, AI-powered baseball coverage.