The Pittsburgh Pirates will promote Bubba Chandler to the majors on Friday, a move that underscores the club’s faith in one of baseball’s premier pitching prospects. Chandler, touted as the No. 4 overall prospect by CBS Sports in June, brings an elite fastball that sits near 98 mph and a rising profile, plus an above-average slider. His Triple-A numbers are imperfect (4.05 ERA across 24 starts) and his August stretch included a rough 12-inning window, but the upside remains immense. Pittsburgh plans him in a multi-inning relief role for now, with potential starts later in the year, as they balance development with big-league exposure. The Pirates sit in the NL Central basement, adding Chandler now signals a longer-term rebuild built around a high-ceiling arm. Fantasy players should watch how the debut unfolds, as Chandler’s usage could yield late-season streaming opportunities if he lands in a high-leverage, multi-inning setup.

Chandler’s arsenal features velocity and rise, anchored by a fastball that plays up and a slider that has shown the best hard-hit discipline in his repertoire. While the numbers at Indianapolis aren’t pristine, his delivery height and extension give him frontline upside if he harnesses control and reduces walks. The Pirates will have to manage his workload as they evaluate whether big-league exposure accelerates or hinders his development. For fantasy managers, the key is to gauge how the Pirates deploy him in bullpen duties and whether he’s lined up for spot starts that could translate into favorable game-possible wins or holds late in the season.

Overall, the move is a clear signal of Pittsburgh’s commitment to a rapid reclamation of top talent. Chandler’s debut, within a crowded and evolving bullpen, could offer a short-term shot in the arm to fantasy rosters if he becomes a go-to multi-inning option, with occasional starts giving managers a thin but real late-season window for speculative upside.

Bubba Chandler will make his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates this weekend, stepping onto a big-league mound at 22 as the No. 7 overall prospect. Initially slated as a reliever, Chandler is viewed by the Pirates as a long-term fit in their starting rotation, a testament to the organization’s pitching pipeline and their willingness to accelerate top arms toward the majors.

Through Triple-A this season, Chandler went 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA across 100 innings, while also posting a career-high 53 walks. Command has been an area of concern, yet Pittsburgh believes his upside—a high ceiling in a future rotation—outweighs the current hiccups. fantasy players eye the debut with tempered optimism, hoping the move to the majors sharpens his control while preserving his strikeout upside.

Toronto visits Pittsburgh in a 12:35 p.m. ET first pitch to kick off a 15-game MLB slate. Chris Bassitt takes the ball for Toronto, Johan Oviedo counters for Pittsburgh. Toronto sits five games clear atop the AL East and relies on Bassitt to deliver a steady start and keep the Pirates’ offense in check. Oviedo is a wild card here after Tommy John surgery and a rough 2025 debut, making Pittsburgh’s chances hinges on bullpen and initiative rather than a long outing from Oviedo. Betters have Toronto as road favorites (-164) with a -1.5 spread, and the 8.5 total reflects the uncertainty surrounding Oviedo’s workload and Pittsburgh’s punchless offense. Fantasy managers should ride Bassitt’s reliability and Toronto’s patient lineup, while hedging exposure to Oviedo’s return-year risk in DFS lineups and props.

Updated 2025 MLB prospect rankings reflect a year of drafts, breakout seasons and a busy trade deadline that reshuffled the ladder. The piece calibrates upside, risk and proximity to the majors, using a clear tier system (60 FV at the top, 50 FV midrange) and rookie eligibility rules to separate true prospects from recent big‑league callups. Expect movement in Double‑A and above as players graduate or surge, while the top end remains thinened by graduations but loaded with high‑ceiling talent ready to push toward the show.

Konnor Griffin (Pirates) anchors the top tier with a Fernando Tatis Jr.–level upside, strengthened defense and patient, line‑drive approach that could power a 30‑homer peak. Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle and Milwaukee’s Jesus Made highlight the breadth of talent creeping toward the majors, while Samuel Basallo shows legitimate 40‑homer potential for Baltimore and Leo De Vries looks like an elite, everyday infield contributor in the near term.

Beyond the very top, the piece flags a wave of emerging stars—Max Clark and Colt Emerson in Detroit and Seattle, Sebastian Walcott in Texas, Travis Bazzana in Cleveland and Aidan Miller in Philadelphia—each with a clear path to regular at‑bats and a ceiling that could reshape their franchise’s long‑term outlook. With the 55 FV tier thinning as graduates pile up, almost every movement matters in dynasty and keeper formats, and the coming season should reveal several more proximities to the big leagues.