North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

Milwaukee just punched its ticket to the World Series, Cleveland and Tampa Bay are still alive in the American League, and suddenly the salary cap debate is everywhere. So what does all of this actually say about the Pirates?

Walsh talks about growing up as a championship swimmer in Chicago, choosing baseball, losing nearly two college seasons at Yale during COVID and the Pirates scout who stuck around through one of the roughest outings of his college career. He also relives closing out Greensboro’s Fourth of July perfect game, talks Andrew McCutchen, Altoona pizza, life in the AFL and gives us the rundown on some of his Pirates teammates.

Alex Stumpf looks at three external additions who could help address some of the Pirates’ biggest offensive needs this winter. Why Taylor Ward, Edmundo Sosa and Eugenio Suárez could all make sense for Pittsburgh.

Pirates pitching prospect Zander Mueth joins Jim from the Arizona Fall League to talk about his move to the bullpen, simplifying his approach and what he learned working alongside Paul Skenes shortly after being drafted.

Sanford talks about the questions surrounding his bat when the Pirates drafted him in 2024, how those doubts still motivate him, the work behind his breakout power in 2026 and the influence his parents have had on his career. He also discusses his injury, learning to take ownership of his development as a professional and what surprised him most about pro baseball.

On today’s Bucco Brew, we look at Pittsburgh’s struggles against left-handed pitching and some potential offseason targets who could help, discuss Wyatt Sanford’s breakout and what the next wave of Pirates prospects could look like, and figure out how much work still needs to be done with a bullpen that cost this team too many games in 2026.

Pirates catching prospect Easton Carmichael joins North Shore Nine for a Get To Know You conversation from the Arizona Fall League.

The Pirates expected their rotation to be among baseball’s best in 2026, but that never really happened. Alex Stumpf breaks down Paul Skenes’ step back, the growth of Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones, and what Pittsburgh should do with Mitch Keller and its pitching depth this offseason.

The Pirates got more production from catcher in 2026, Rafael Flores Jr. showed legitimate offensive upside and Henry Davis developed into a strong defender. Alex Stumpf breaks down why the position is still far from settled entering 2027, including Flores’ defensive concerns and struggles against velocity, Davis’ offensive limitations and Endy Rodriguez’s uncertain future.

The Pirates’ 2027 offseason is already starting to take shape. DiNardo and the crew break down the latest arbitration projections, what Pittsburgh’s payroll could look like next season, and the bigger question: how much does this team actually need to spend to take another step forward?

Nate & Neil went back through the entire roster and ranked everyone from S to F based on their performance, impact and what we expected from them coming into the year. Brandon Lowe and Oneil Cruz headline the S tier, but things get weird fast when Rafael Flores Jr., Mason Montgomery and Yohan Ramirez all end up ranked ahead of Paul Skenes.

Nick Gonzales had a productive season at the plate, but where exactly does he fit into the Pirates’ 2027 infield? Alex looks at Gonzales’ defensive struggles, the uncertainty at second and third base, Brandon Lowe’s free agency and why Pittsburgh may need to settle its infield plans before a potential lockout complicates the offseason.

Jared Jones capped his return from internal brace surgery with a historic September, posting 40 strikeouts and a 0.93 ERA. Alex Stumpf digs into the biggest development behind the numbers: Jones is starting to look like more than a fastball-slider pitcher, which could completely change his ceiling in 2027.