The future is bright for the NL Central. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates, whose refusal to invest the necessary money in their offense has led to a fourth or fifth-place finish in the division in each of the last eight seasons, have several reasons to be encouraged about the future of their ball club.
One of those reasons comes in the form of the 2021 3rd-round pick Bubba Chandler. Chandler is the Pirates’ top prospect, the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball, and the best pitching prospect still in the minor leagues. Despite calls for Chandler to be promoted to the big leagues ringing out from the Pirate fan base for most of the 2025 season, Pittsburgh has chosen patience when it comes to their top prospect.