Pirates Ink Their Two Top Pitchers in the 2021 MLB Draft
When he took over as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in November 2019, he made one thing abundantly clear, he was going to rebuild the Pirates from the ground up. This meant acquiring as much talent as he could for the Minor Leagues so they could develop them for the future. He has stuck to this plan and it has shown in the Minor League rankings. When he took over, the Pirates had one of the lowest-ranked systems in all of baseball. However, now the Pirates have the third-best system in all of Major League Baseball. They added to that talent already by signing their second and fourth-round picks in the 2021 draft.
They ended up inking their second-round draft pick Anthony Solometo earlier this week, signing him for $2.8 million. He was considered as one of the top prep pitchers in the draft, and from the moment he was drafted, he was excited to be a Pirate. However, their other top-pitching prospect was going to take some more convincing. Bubba Chandler is a two-way star at North Oconee HS and had a full-ride scholarship to play quarterback at Clemson. There were questions as to whether or not he would sign, but right from the get-go, he was excited about being drafted. Yesterday, the Pirates were able to get their fourth-round pick to sign when they agreed to a three million dollar signing bonus. Today, we look at what these two pitchers and what they bring to the Pirates organization.
Bubba Chandler
The harder of the two draft picks for the Pirates to sign was going to be Bubba Chandler. They were able to get him away from his commitment to Clemson, and now look to start him in their own system. Chandler was a two-way star in high school and played both sides very well. As a shortstop, he hit .435 during his senior year, and on the mound, he went a perfect 7-0 with 55 strikeouts in 41.1 innings of work according to Max Preps. The Pirates drafted Chandler as a pitcher, but, could he possibly be the next Shohei Ohtani in the Pirates system? One other WPIAL guy has tried and succeeded for a short period of time, Blackhawks Brendan McKay, but it is yet to be seen what the Pirates do with Chandler.
The best stuff he possesses comes on the mound where scouts have said he has enhanced stuff. He has come a long way since last season, upping his fastball from the 88-93 mph range up to the 92-95 mph range and sometimes touching as high as 97. Of the four pitches he possesses, his fastball is his highest grade, at a 60 on MLB Pipeline's 20-80 scale. His primary off-speed pitch is his curveball, which he routinely gets opponents to pound into the ground. It has a lot of downward action and hits around 75-79 mph. With such a contrast from his fastball, it leaves hitters swinging over the top and causes a lot of Chandler's strikeouts. He also has a slider and a change-up that he can turn to, and both of those pitches grade as a 50 on the MLB Pipeline scale.
On the offensive side of the ball, Chandler has a lot of raw power to be tapped into, with a power grade of 50 by MLB Pipeline. He hit the ball at a nice .436 clip during his senior year, but it is his power and speed that have caught the attention of Scouts. His speed is his top tool according to MLB Pipeline sitting at a 70. He plays shortstop, but his speed also opens the possibility of a possible move around the diamond. While his primary position will be pitcher in the Pirates organization, there is a possibility that he gets looks on the offensive side of the ball. With rumors of the DH coming to the National League, this may be an opening for Chandler to do both. However, pitching is going to be his main focus but don't be surprised if you see a little bit of Chandler's offensive game as he moves through the system.
Anthony Solometo
Regarded by many as the best prep pitcher in the 2021 MLB Draft, it was a steal when the Pirates were able to grab him in the second round. One look at his stats shows why he was so highly regarded as he posted a 0.28 ERA, and no that's not a typo, in 32.2 innings of work. He allowed just five hits in that span while walking five and striking out 64. Solometo has a funky wind-up that causes deception and is a rare left-handed talent that can get both righties and lefties out. There is nothing more valuable than a quality left-handed pitcher and they are so hard to find nowadays.
Looking at Solometo's arsenal, his top two pitches are his fastball and his slider, both of which rank out as a 55. His fastball isn't a burner by any means, coming in between 90-93 mph, but the big thing with the pitch is his command and the movement of the pitch. The fastball has some cutting action that rides away from left-handed batters and in to right-handers. He likes to throw it up in the some and has pretty good command of the pitch, walking just five batters during his senior season. The problem with working up in the zone is it leaves you susceptible to the home run ball. He is going to have to use his cut action and his deceptive delivery to throw off professional hitters.
However, as a starter, you can't just live on the fastball as you have to be able to change speeds effectively. Luckily for Solometo, he has a slider that also grades out as a 55 and offers a great contrast to the fastball. While he likes to throw the fastball up in the zone, he drops the slider the complete opposite side as it goes down in the zone. He likes to bury it into the back foot of right-handed hitters, and down and away from left-handers. It comes in around 80-83 mph and not only changes speeds but changes the batter's eye level. He is also currently developing a change-up, that grades as a 50, but he is still working on his command of his pitch. Solometo will likely start his playing career in Low-A where he will get a chance to show what he can do against professional hitters.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (36-60) are off Thursday, but return to action on Friday when they battle the San Francisco Giants (60-35) at 9:45 pm. Chad Kuhl (3-5, 4.31) looks to make it back-to-back wins for the Pirates as he faces Johnny Cueto (6-5, 4.01) for the Giants. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen live on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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