When you talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation, the conversation usually starts with Paul Skenes. And for good reason—he's been nothing short of electric. But here's the thing: this pitching staff is deeper than just one superstar arm.

Braxton Ashcraft and Mitch Keller have both been dealing this season, each sporting a sub-3.00 ERA. That kind of production is a huge reason why the Pirates are hanging tough in the NL Central. Sure, they're sitting in fourth place, but they're only five games back of the Chicago Cubs and just 1.5 games out of second. In a tight division race, every start counts.

Now, let's talk about the guy everyone had circled before the season: Bubba Chandler. Drafted in the third round back in 2021 straight out of high school, Chandler was a two-way player before committing fully to the mound. He made his MLB debut late last year and flashed serious potential. But this season? It's been a grind. He's 1-4 with a 4.62 ERA over 39 innings, and control has been an issue—he's walked six batters in a start twice already. On top of that, his mental game still needs sharpening.

So where does that leave the Pirates' rotation? Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller still ranks them as the third-best rotation in all of baseball. Here's what he had to say: "Paul Skenes has allowed six earned runs in 41.1 innings to slash his ERA back down to 2.36. But Braxton Ashcraft and Mitch Keller are right there with Skenes in the sub-3.00 club, that trio accounting for 15 of the team's 17 quality starts. If they could just get Bubba Chandler to start living up to his prospect rankings hype, maybe they could catch back up to the Cubs atop the NL Central standings."

The message is clear: if Chandler turns the corner, this rotation could be unstoppable. For a team fighting for the division, getting that No. 4 starter to click might be the difference between a Wild Card push and a division crown. All eyes are on him now—can he rise to the occasion?