Top Prospect Bubba Chandler Headlines Indians Preliminary Opening Day Roster

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Pirates, today announced their preliminary Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Indianapolis’ daily roster will consist of 28 active players, led by right-hander Bubba Chandler – the Pirates top prospect and No. 15 in Minor League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline – and six additional top 30 organizational prospects. The Indians kick off their 123rd campaign in franchise history with a three-game series at the St. Paul Saints beginning tonight before returning to Victory Field on Tuesday, April 1 for a 6:35 PM first pitch vs. the Iowa Cubs.

Chandler, 22, also enters the season rated as the No. 4 right-handed pitching prospect in MiLB, trailing Los Angeles’ (NL) Roki Sasaki, Detroit’s right-hander Jackson Jobe and Philadelphia’s Andrew Painter. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the third round (No. 72 overall) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) High School after committing to Clemson (S.C.) University to play both baseball and football. Chandler made seven starts for the Indians in 2024, posting a 4-0 record and 1.83 ERA (8er/39.1ip) with 54 strikeouts. From his Triple-A debut on Aug. 9 through the end of the season, he led all International League qualifiers in ERA and strikeouts while ranking second in batting average against (.183) and fourth in WHIP (1.04)

Six additional prospects ranked among the organization’s top 30 according to MLB Pipeline are slated to begin the season in Triple-A, They include right-hander Thomas Harrington (PIT No. 3/MiLB No. 79), utilityman Nick Yorke (No. 5), right-hander and Opening Day starter Braxton Ashcraft (No. 6), right-hander Mike Burrows (No. 15), shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng (No. 17) and outfielder and first baseman Billy Cook (No. 18).

Roster moves will be made ahead of today’s season-opener at St. Paul.

Pitchers (18)

RHP Braxton Ashcraft
RHP Mike Burrows
RHP Bubba Chandler
RHP Fineas Del Bonta-Smith
RHP Drake Fellows
RHP JC Flowers
RHP Carson Fulmer
RHP Thomas Harrington
LHP Randy Labaut
RHP Isaac Mattson
RHP Kyle Nicolas
RHP Tanner Rainey
RHP Yohan Ramírez
RHP Ryder Ryan
RHP Chase Shugart
RHP Burch Smith
RHP Hunter Stratton
RHP Eddy Yean

Position Players (17)

C Henry Davis
C Jason Delay
C Eli Wilson
INF Tsung-Che Cheng
INF Darick Hall
INF Mike Jarvis
INF Malcom Nuñez
INF Liover Peguero
INF DJ Stewart
INF Enmanuel Valdez
INF Alika Williams
INF Nick Yorke
OF Billy Cook
OF Matt Fraizer
OF Matt Gorski
OF Bryce Johnson
OF Nick Solak