Could Bubba Chandler be the next Shohei Ohtani? Well, no, that’s not likely. Ohtani is just a very different kind of guy. But maybe Chandler could be what the Cincinnati Reds had thoughts of Michael Lorenzen being – a legitimate two-way option on the mound and in the field.
Bubba Chandler Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 3″ | Weight: 200
Bats: Both | Throws: Right | Position: RHP/SS
Highest Ranking: 16th (Fangraphs)
When it comes to high school athletes, Bubba Chandler is the kind of guy that a town will talk about forever. On the baseball field he’s got first round talent as both a shortstop and as a pitcher. On the football field he’s got a scholarship to play quarterback at Clemson. There just aren’t many comparisons out there for the kind of athlete that Chandler is.
When it comes to pitching he sits 92-94 MPH and will touch 97 with his fastball that has seen a big spike in velocity this year. His curveball shows high spin rates and will flash itself as an above-average to plus offering at times now. There’s also a change up in his repertoire, but it’s a below-average offering now that has a chance to be solid-average in the future.
At the plate he’s a switch-hitter with four above-average tools. He’s got slightly above-average raw power, above-average speed, a plus arm, and he’s got the tools to be an above-average defender. But as a position player he’s still considered to be quite raw. With the tools to be a good defender at several positions he’s not there yet. At the plate he’s considered to be a below-average hitter in the future.
A few teams prefer the North Oconee High Schooler as a shortstop, though most seem to believe he’s more of a pitcher and if and when he focuses solely on that aspect of the game he could really take off.
You can read all of the 2021 MLB Draft Scouting Reports here.
Bubba Chandler Video
Basic Information
For this draft scouting report series we are going to look at prospects rated 6th through 50th in a cumulative ranking based on the Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, and Fangraphs draft rankings. The guys in the top five seem to have no chance of dropping to Cincinnati at 17, so we’re skipping them to focus a little more on guys with more of a shot to be Reds. The national rankings are updated throughout the month leading up to the draft, so there could be some slight changes from when the cumulative list was compiled and when you read this.
The 2021 Major League Baseball Draft will begin on July 11th and end on July 13th, taking part over a three day period of time. The Cincinnati Reds will have selections 17, 30, 35, and 53 in the first two rounds of the draft. Despite not selecting in the top five, or even the top 10, the Reds have the 4th largest bonus pool allotment to work with due to their compensation pick from losing Trevor Bauer in free agency, as well as a competitive balance round A pick (35th) that adds a lot of additional pool money.