North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

Pirates pitching prospect Reinold Navarro possesses one of the most electric fastballs in the organization, and it may be one of the best pitches in all of Minor League Baseball.

Jim and Anthony Murphy break down what makes the 19-year-old left-hander’s fastball so difficult to hit, the development of his slider and changeup, and the extreme strikeout numbers he has produced with Bradenton.

There is also one major concern. Na...

The Pirates fell back to .500 after another winnable Paul Skenes start slipped away in a 6-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Jim and Tyler break down Skenes’ concerning recent stretch, Konnor Griffin homering in his return from the injured list, big swings from Marcell Ozuna and Esmerlyn Valdez and another bullpen failure that leaves Pittsburgh at 41-41.

Download our app!
: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-shore-nine/id67...

Spencer Horwitz had become one of the Pirates’ most important hitters before a hamstring strain sent him to the injured list. Alex Stumpf breaks down just how much Horwitz has meant to the lineup, why Ryan O’Hearn gives Pittsburgh a capable replacement at first base, and whether Jake Mangum, Tyler Callihan and Esmerlyn Valdez can help make up the lost production.

Plus, with Konnor Griffin nearing a return, is this the r...

The Pittsburgh Pirates reached the halfway point at 41-40 and remain firmly in the National League Wild Card race, but their midseason report card is all over the place. Jim and Tyler grade every position group, the coaching staff and Ben Cherington’s front office.

The outfield and revamped infield have carried the offense, while the bullpen, designated hitter spot and Marcell Ozuna signing receive failing grades. Alex Stumpf...

Cody and Doug breakdown today's 5-1 Pirates victory over Seattle! Henry Davis pled his case that he can still be valuable offensively, and Bubba Chandler continued to turn the corner as he works to become a solid rookie starter.

Download our app!
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-shore-nine/id6771171000 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.northshorenine.app

Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at ht...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent years cycling through temporary answers behind the plate. Alex Stumpf believes Endy Rodriguez may have finally ended that search.

On today’s OffBeat, Alex traces the Pirates’ catching situation from Jacob Stallings through Henry Davis and Joey Bart before explaining how Endy has taken control of the position. His simpler swing, improved timing and patient approach are producing better a...

The Pirates finally had one of those nights where everything actually looked easy.

Tyler and Jim break down the 11-1 win over the Mariners, starting with Braxton Ashcraft and how much his curveball carried the outing. They talk through why this version of Ashcraft is so encouraging, what Ryan O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds gave the lineup, Spencer Horwitz leaving the game, and another strong night from Endy Rodríguez.

They also c...

The Pittsburgh Pirates had every chance to beat the Seattle Mariners and still walked away with a 3-2 loss. Pittsburgh collected nine hits, drew three walks and benefited from three Seattle errors, but stranded nine runners and repeatedly gave away scoring opportunities with poor execution and baserunning.

Anthony DiNardo and Doug E. Fresh break down Nick Gonzales’ costly decision on the bases, Mitch Keller’s six-inning...

Don Kelly believes the Pirates are about to see a different Marcell Ozuna. Alex Stumpf remains far from convinced.

Ozuna produced one of his better games of the season Tuesday, but his .598 OPS, continued swing-and-miss issues and lack of explosiveness still raise major concerns. Alex explains why a few productive at-bats do not prove Ozuna has turned a corner, what a legitimate turnaround would look like and why the $12 million si...

Bryan Reynolds is riding a 12-game hitting streak, owns an OPS over 1.000 in June and has become the hitter the Pittsburgh Pirates need most with Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin injured.

On today’s OffBeat, Alex Stumpf examines Reynolds’ legitimate All Star case, his production from both sides of the plate and why the Pirates may go only as far as their best hitter can take them until the lineup gets healthy and the pitch...

Paul Skenes’ ERA is nearly a full run higher than it was last season, and people are beginning to wonder whether the Pirates ace is still the same pitcher. Jim and DiNardo dig into the underlying numbers, what has actually changed and how much Pittsburgh’s awful defense has hurt him.

Then they turn their attention to a bullpen that remains one of the team’s biggest problems. The Pirates traded Joey Bart to Atlanta...

The Pirates leave Colorado with a series loss that feels much bigger than two losses in the standings. Alex Stumpf breaks down the offensive struggles against left-handed pitching, costly defensive mistakes, bullpen concerns, and why this series could have long-term implications as Pittsburgh enters one of the toughest stretches of its schedule.

Subscribe for daily Pirates coverage from North Shore Nine.

Download our app!
: htt...

The Pirates finally gave their pitching staff some support.

After scoring just three runs over the first two games of the series, Pittsburgh broke through for eight runs and 13 hits in an 8-6 win over the Rockies to avoid a sweep in Colorado. Nick Gonzales got the offense rolling with a two-run homer, Bryan Reynolds continued his outstanding June with a three-run blast, and contributions came throughout the lineup from Jake Mangum,...

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Brent Iredale joins Jim to rip a box of 2026 Bowman and talk about seeing his own First Bowman card for the first time. The Pirates’ 2025 seventh-round pick also explains why signing all those autographs took about 12 hours and which versions of his card he wants to collect.

Iredale discusses growing up in Sydney, moving to New Mexico for junior college, playing at Arkansas and the continued growth...

The Pittsburgh Pirates wasted another winnable game at Coors Field, falling 2-1 to the Colorado Rockies after scoring only once and failing to bring home the tying run with the bases loaded in the ninth. Paul Skenes was not at his sharpest, but six innings and two runs should have been enough.

DiNardo and Jim break down the game-ending interference call involving Billy Cook, another lifeless offensive performance, Jake Mangum&rsquo...

Wyatt Sanford entered the Pirates system as a glove-first shortstop with speed and questions about the bat. Less than two years later, his prospect profile looks completely different.

Jim and Anthony Murphy break down the setup changes behind Sanford’s power surge at High-A Greensboro, where he hit 10 home runs and stole 21 bases through 48 games. They discuss his 112 mph maximum exit velocity, smooth defense at shortstop, pl...

The Pirates looked dead offensively for most of the night before finally breaking through in the eighth inning against Colorado. Esmerlyn Valdez, Jared Triolo, Bryan Reynolds, and Nick Gonzales helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead, but the bullpen couldn't hold it.

Tyler and Neil break down another frustrating loss, Bubba Chandler's strong outing, Don Kelly's bullpen decisions, the continued struggles of the relief corps, and ...

Braxton Ashcraft delivered the quality start the Pittsburgh Pirates desperately needed, helping them finally secure another series win. Now the rest of the rotation must follow his lead.

Alex Stumpf explains why the Pirates cannot rely on their offense or struggling bullpen to carry them through the most difficult stretch of their schedule. Paul Skenes has not been as dominant, Mitch Keller continues to search for his sinker, Jared...

FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen joins Jim, Tyler and DiNardo on WNS9+ for a complete breakdown of the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

FanGraphs recently released its Pirates Top 50 prospect list, led by Konnor Griffin, Bubba Chandler, Seth Hernandez, Edward Florentino and Johan De Los Santos. Longenhagen also described Pittsburgh’s system as strong, with star talent at the top, near-ready pitching and several high...