Clemson two-sport signee Bubba Chandler taken on Day Two of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Clemson quarterback and baseball signee Bubba Chandler with the 72nd pick during the MLB Draft’s third round on Monday.
The selection comes with a slot value, or projected signing bonus, of $870,700, a figure that can be negotiated. All that’s left is for Chandler to officially announce that he’s joining the Pirates or opting to stay at Clemson — though he’s already tipped his hand at where he’s leaning.
“Let’s get to work,” he posted to Twitter promoting the Pirates’ announcement of drafting him, adding “Ball player for the Pirates” to his social media bio. He also told an ESPN reporter that he intends to sign with Pittsburgh.
Chandler, who had yellow confetti ready when the Pirates drafted him as a pitcher, was projected to go around the mid to late part of the first round, but was still on the board when the second round began Monday. MLB.com senior writer Jim Callis had the Georgia native as one of the top three players still available heading into Day Two of the draft, noting Chandler’s upside as well as his fastball, slider and changeup.
“Yesterday was a little stressful, but God has a plan and I follow that plan,” Chandler said Monday on the MLB Draft online broadcast. “I prayed a lot last night and everything’s going to work out. I’m only 18 years old, and if you would’ve told me this a year ago, that I would be in this situation, I would’ve told you you’re crazy. Everything works out for a reason and I’m glad to be a Pittsburgh Pirate.”
As the fourth round got under way Monday, fellow Clemson two-way player Will Taylor was still undrafted. Both were pegged as first-round prospects by most projections.
Chandler, the right-handed pitcher/shortstop, proved his mettle after a standout senior season at North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia. He batted .411 with eight home runs while posting an 8-1 pitching record with a 1.25 ERA, helping his squad reach the Class 4A baseball semifinals. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 1 right-handed pitcher in the state of Georgia and fourth in the country.
Chandler’s versatility as either a shortstop or pitcher, as well as his overall athleticism, made him an attractive prospect for many teams with a need at either spot. His pitching has been a point of emphasis, though, with his fastball reaching 97 mph.
“What’s interesting about him is you get split opinions from teams as to which way he’s better,” Callis said. “I had teams who are convinced he’s better as a switch-hitting shortstop with solid power and solid speed, and obviously strong arm. Then I had teams that think he’s better as a pitcher and was up to 97. He’s got good secondary pitches and athletic delivery. ... He’s super talented.”
The Pirates opened the draft by selecting Louisville catcher Henry Davis with the first overall pick, then took Bishop Eustace Prep HS (NJ) pitcher Anthony Solometo with the 37th pick to start the second round and Malvern Prep HS (PA) outfielder Lonnie White Jr. at No. 64.
With Chandler, they appear to have sided with his pitching being the stronger point of his game, which is just fine with him. He said he doesn’t have a preference on either position.
“I mean, just like playing baseball,” the new draftee said. “We’ll see what happens with everything, but I just enjoy playing whether it’s every day or pitching, hitting, whatever it is. Baseball’s a great game, and being on the field is amazing.’
Chandler had originally committed to play baseball at Georgia, but switched his commitment to Clemson on May 20, 2020 when given the opportunity to play football as a quarterback, where he also had success as a three-year player for the Titans. He reported to campus on June 24 with the understanding that he would get drafted and still had the option of going pro.
The MLB signing deadline is 11:59 p.m. Aug. 1, which gives the two-sport athlete just under three weeks to make a final decision.
Should he decide to begin his professional baseball journey, it wouldn’t be the first time a Clemson signee has done so before reaching the diamond for the Tigers. In 2019, the program had three signees drafted — two opted to bypass college: Nasim Nunez, who was selected by the Miami Marlins in the second round; and Gavin Collyer, who went to the Texas Rangers in the 12th round.
Jonathan French, who was drafted in the 30th round by the Cleveland Indians, opted to stick with the Tigers and hit .248, starting in 27 of 31 games played this past spring as a redshirt freshman. All three share another commonality with Chandler as Georgia natives.
“We say this a lot: yeah, he went in the third round, lower than expected,” Callis said, ‘but if you got picked today, I’m assuming he’s going to sign with the Pirates.”
Later in the day, Tigers redshirt sophomore shortstop James Parker was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the eighth round with the 234th pick. Parker batted a team-leading .324 and also led the squad in hits (68) and doubles (13).
His selection marks a 35th straight year of a Clemson baseball player going in the MLB Draft, which includes his father, Tim. The former pitcher was the Chicago Cubs’ third-round pick in 1990.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Clemson two-sport signee Bubba Chandler taken on Day Two of MLB Draft."
