About this episode

The episode discusses Bubba Chandler's struggles as a rookie pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the lessons learned from his experiences on the mound.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler faces a trial by fire against Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers, highlighting the real and necessary growing pains of pitching in the majors. Gary Morgan breaks down Chandler's dynamic but inconsistent command, the psychological battle on the mound, and how the Pirates are developing his full pitch arsenal—including strategic choices between Joey Bart and Henry Davis behind the plate. Key discussion points include how player emotion shapes game performance, the club’s commitment to long-term development, and the impact of minor league ballpark dimensions on prospect evaluation. Listener AMAs tackle Oneil Cruz’s contract future, draft strategies surrounding Henry Davis and Bubba Chandler, and the challenges the Pirates face stringing together wins in the NL Central. Will the Pirates’ rotation find stability, and can Chandler harness his potential into lasting success? Don’t miss this deep dive into the realities of building a winning team in Pittsburgh.

People in this episode

Host: Gary Morgan

Topics covered

• Bubba Chandler's performance
• pitching challenges
• player development
• emotional impact on performance
• minor league evaluation
• team strategy

Keywords

• Bubba Chandler
• Jacob deGrom
• Texas Rangers
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• pitching
• player development
• Oneil Cruz
• Henry Davis
• NL Central

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates

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