Chandler, Johnson among the biggest movers in latest rankings

The Pirates' top two prospects were among the biggest movers Monday in MLB Pipeline's latest Top 100 prospect rankings. 

Behind a recent two-game stretch where he pitched 13 2/3 innings and recorded 21 strikeouts, Bubba Chandler moved to the No. 1 spot in the Pirates' prospect rankings and was also among the biggest climbers in the top 100 rankings. Chandler climbed from No. 62 to No. 52 and was the lowest on a list of 14 players who climbed 10 spots or more. Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle made the biggest jump, climbing 31 spots from No. 96 to No. 65. 

Termarr Johnson fell 20 spots from No. 57 to No. 77, suffering the fourth-largest drop. Philadelphia's right-handed pitcher Mick Abel was the biggest mover on the list, falling 36 spots from No. 58 to No. 94. 

Chandler has found his form recently in Class AA Altoona and tallied a 2.49 ERA in June. In five starts he pitched 25 1/3 innings, allowed just seven earned runs, five of which came in one start, and struck out 35 batters. His last two outings told the story, however. On June 21, Chandler tossed seven innings against Bowie, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out 10. It was his longest outing of the season. 

Six days later, Chandler took the bump against Akron and allowed three hits and two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work while striking out a career-high 11 batters. 

The 21-year-old has recorded a 4.17 ERA in 54 innings of work this season while striking out 68 batters. However, Chandler struggled in May. He tallied a dismal 8.74 ERA which included two starts that he allowed four runs or more. The second of those two outings lasted 2/3 innings as he walked five and allowed five earned runs. 

As a former two-way player, who had the opportunity to play football and baseball at Clemson before the Pirates drafted him in 2021, Chandler has the athleticism to be special and he's shown glimpses of it throughout his career. His two most recent starts were just the latest examples. If his development continues and he's able to keep his walk numbers low, which is what plagued him during those two rough outings in May and slightly reared its head in April, Chandler could continue to ascend as the Pirates' next great pitching prospect alongside the likes of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones.

Johnson tumbled in MLB Pipeline's last update and that fall continues as he's dropped from the organization's top spot. However, the latter could be more tied to Chandler's recent hot streak. In Class A Greensboro this year, Johnson has recorded a .226 batting average with 57 hits, 31 RBIs and 72 strikeouts in 252 at-bats. Johnson's latest fall also comes after recording a season-high four hits on June 29 in which he hit the ball to all fields. 

Despite a slow start to the season where he hit .194 in April, Johnson leads the South Atlantic League with 55 walks and is also third in runs scored (52) and seventh in OBP (.379). So despite the fall, there is no cause for concern. He's seeing the ball well enough to draw a large number of walks and is showcasing his ability to get on base and score runs. Only time will tell how quickly he climbs to the next level, but I don't think there should be any rush.