Pirates Pitcher Skenes Dominates at WBC, Teammate Chandler Praises Him

Bubba Chandler calls Skenes a "freaking stud" after his strong performance for Team USA

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:03pm

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has been dominating at the World Baseball Classic, helping lead Team USA to the finals. After Skenes' latest strong outing against the Dominican Republic, his Pirates teammate Bubba Chandler had high praise, calling Skenes a "freaking stud" and saying it's a "pleasure" to have him on the team.

Why it matters

Skenes' standout performance at the WBC is further evidence of his emergence as one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball. As the Pirates look to build a contending team around their young talent, Skenes' continued development and leadership will be crucial to the team's success.

The details

In Sunday's narrow win over the Dominican Republic, Skenes didn't have his most dominant outing, but still did enough to help Team USA advance to the WBC finals. After the game, Chandler praised Skenes, saying he's "a freaking stud" and that it's a "pleasure" to have him in the Pirates' clubhouse. Skenes himself was thrilled with the win, saying "It's unbelievable" and that he just wanted to "put up as many zeroes as possible" to give his team a chance to win.

  • On Sunday, March 16, 2026, Team USA defeated the Dominican Republic in the WBC tournament.
  • The Pirates' 2026 season is scheduled to begin later this month.

The players

Paul Skenes

A pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates who has emerged as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He has been dominating at the World Baseball Classic while representing Team USA.

Bubba Chandler

A teammate of Skenes on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chandler had high praise for Skenes' performance at the WBC, calling him a "freaking stud".

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What they’re saying

“Super excited to watch him. Dude's a freaking stud, and it's a pleasure to have him in the clubhouse. Can't wait for them to win and get our guys back. It's a great day to be an American.”

— Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates Teammate (DK Pittsburgh on X)

“It's unbelievable. Just coming into the game, I wanted to put up as many zeroes as possible and put us in a position to win. Everybody else did their job, that was really fun to watch.”

— Paul Skenes (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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