It took much longer than it should've, but Pittsburgh Pirates fans finally got the news they've been waiting for. Amid another lost campaign, the team reportedly selected the contract of baseball's top pitching prospect, Bubba Chandler. While they killed the vibe of the announcement by questionably planning to deploy him as a reliever at first, it's a celebratory occasion nonetheless.
However, MLB's editorial and web development teams probably aren't as happy about Chandler's promotion, considering they recently adjusted their farm system rankings. The list was tailored in response to the 2025 draft and and trade deadline fallout roughly a week before he was called up. Nevertheless, here's how the upper pipeline looks in wake of Pittsburgh's uncanny timing.
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Updated MLB Pipeline rankings after Pirates promote top prospect Bubba Chandler
Ranking | Player | Team | Position(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Konnor Griffin | Pittsburgh Pirates | SS/OF |
2 | Kevin McGonigle | Detroit Tigers | SS |
3 | Leo De Vries | Athletics | SS |
4 | Sebastian Walcott | Texas Rangers | SS/3B |
5 | Jesús Made | Milwaukee Brewers | SS |
6 | JJ Wetherholt | St. Louis Cardinals | SS/2B |
7 | Max Clark | Detroit Tigers | OF |
8 | Andrew Painter | Philadelphia Phillies | RHP |
9 | Colt Emerson | Seattle Mariners | SS/3B |
10 | Josue De Paula | Los Angeles Dodgers | OF |
Technically, 21-year-old Baltimore Orioles phenom Samuel Basallo is right behind Chandler in the hierarchy at No. 8. They haven't met or exceeded the 130 at-bat or 50 innings pitched threshold to shed their rookie eligibility, though, and probably won't until 2026. But as you can see, the top six prospects, and seven out of the top 10, are shortstops or can at least man the position. Notably, one of them also resides in Pittsburgh, and he sits at No. 1 overall on the leaderboard: Konnor Griffin.
Griffin has the athleticism and arm strength to thrive at short or in the outfield, as we've seen at Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. So much so that the Pirates elevated him to Double-A Altoona already. Only 19, the 2024 No. 9 pick offers immense five-tool potential. He's slashing .332/.414/.524 with 16 home runs, 72 RBI and a whopping 59 stole bases while boasting a strong .937 OPS across 401 at-bats.
Leo De Vries comes in at No. 3 in the ranks. The Athletics acquired him as part of a blockbuster swap that sent shutdown closer Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres. He's a special switch-hitting talent with plate discipline and power beyond his years and untapped baserunning upside. Turning 19 in October, like Griffin, the Dominican Republic native has done enough to merit entering the Double-A mix.
St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt is the only player mentioned who's old enough to join Chandler for an alcoholic beverage. Not that this makes him old, it's just a factual statement and observation. The 22-year-old is batting .310/.403/.670 with a sterling 1.073 OPS, nine homers and 17 RBI at Triple-A Memphis. His respective pursuit to the Majors is probably farther along than Griffin and De Vries'.