North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

Alex Stumpf digs into the full Oneil Cruz experience after the Pirates’ first road trip of 2026. From frustrating defensive moments and body language concerns to three home runs in two games, Cruz once again looked like one of the most polarizing and impactful players on the roster. Alex breaks down why Cruz can both cost and win games almost by himself, why the Pirates still need this center fiel...

The NS9 Postgame Show Powered By Primanti Bros. Ryan and Cody break down the Pirates 8-3 victory over the Reds to take the series and improve to 3-3 this season. They discuss Paul Skenes' bounce back start and the decision to pull him after five innings. Ryan and Cody also talk about the offense and how getting production from Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales changes the outlook for th...

The Pirates are back in the win column, and Alex Stumpf breaks down a game that had no shortage of storylines. The offense showed up with home runs from Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn, and Bryan Reynolds, but the bigger focus is Bubba Chandler’s outing. Alex dives into the flashes of dominance, the command issues, the reliance on the fastball, and what Chandler still needs to show as a young starter. He...

The Pirates finally broke through in Cincinnati, and Jim Rosati was there on the field to talk through all of it with DiNardo on the latest NS9 Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Bros. The guys dive into Ryan O’Hearn staying red hot, Bryan Reynolds getting a much-needed homer, and Oneil Cruz putting together his best all-around game of the young season, including damage against a lefty. They also d...

Alex Stumpf reacts to another frustrating night for the Pirates offense and asks the question nobody wanted to be asking this early: are we already seeing the same problems again? On this episode of OffBeat, Alex breaks down the ugly lack of production, the struggles with runners in scoring position, and why strong starts from the pitching staff are being wasted. He also digs into the early at-bat...

Jim Rosati and Anthony DiNardo break down a frustrating 2-0 Pirates loss to the Reds on the latest NS9 Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Bros., with Jim joining live from the field in Cincinnati. They dig into another lifeless offensive performance, the missed opportunities that defined the night, and why the bats once again wasted a strong pitching effort. The guys spend time on Braxton Ashcraft’...

On this episode of Bucco Brew, we give our first real thoughts on the Pirates through the opening series of the season. The offense has shown signs of life and the hits are there, but the big hit hasn’t come often enough and it’s left this group searching for runs in key spots. We also dive into Carmen Mlodzinski’s first look as a starter in 2026, including the early impact of his new splitter and...

On this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf looks at why Brandon Lowe already feels like one of the most important additions the Pirates have made in years. After a huge opening series in New York, Alex breaks down how Lowe brings exactly what this lineup has been missing: left-handed power, instant offense, and real impact in big moments. He also explains why the trade mattered beyond just Lowe, how...

NS9 Postgame Show powered by Primanti Bros. Doug and Ryan break down the Pirates’ first win of the 2026 season after a 4-3 extra-innings battle in New York. They talk about big contributions from Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, Henry Davis delivering in a huge spot and making a strong tag at the plate, and Jose Urquidy locking down an unexpected save. The guys also get into Carmen Mlodzinski’s star...

The NS9 Postgame Show Powered By Primanti Bros. discuss today's Pittsburgh Pirates game vs. the New York Mets Pirates drop a brutal extra-inning loss to the Mets and fall to 0-2 on the season. Tyler and Nathan break down a frustrating, very winnable game — including Mitch Keller’s dominant start, 17 runners left on base, and continued bullpen control issues. They also discuss lineup decisions, mis...

On the debut episode of Bucs On Deck, Jim Rosati and Anthony Murphy from Bucs On Deck break down Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Khristian Curtis and why he is a name fans need to know. They dive into Curtis’ arsenal, the adjustments that helped turn his 2025 season around, where he fits in the Pirates’ system, and what his ceiling could be if he continues to attack the zone. The episode also...

Opening Day was supposed to feel like the start of something big. Instead, it raised a bunch of uncomfortable questions. On this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf reacts to the Pirates’ ugly 11-7 loss to the Mets, breaks down Paul Skenes’ uncharacteristically rough first inning, and explains why Oneil Cruz’s defensive mistakes mattered but should not define the story. Alex also digs into the bigger...

The 2026 season is underway, and the Pirates wasted no time delivering chaos. Doug and DiNardo react to an ugly 11-7 Opening Day loss to the Mets, headlined by a shocking early exit from Paul Skenes, defensive issues that immediately raised concerns, and a bullpen performance that couldn’t stop the bleeding. They break down Oneil Cruz’s rough day in the field, the walks piling up on the mound, and...

Opening Day means hope, and on this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf makes the optimistic case for why the 2026 Pirates can actually reach the postseason. He breaks down why the starting rotation could be one of the best the franchise has had in decades, why the offense doesn’t need to be great to get this team into October, and why there’s finally enough real impact talent on this roster to believ...

Tonight on NS9LIVE!, DiNardo, Ty Ty, and Jim are back for our yearly Pirates Over/Under Show. We’re each throwing out five stat lines for the 2026 season and putting each other on the spot to pick over or under, with bragging rights on the line by year’s end. We’ll also lock in our official 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates win predictions and see just how much faith we really have in this team. And of cour...

Alex Stumpf takes a realistic look at the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates and breaks down three reasons they could miss the postseason. From concerns about how the rotation’s workload will hold up over a full season, to the volatility in the bullpen, to what could be a major defensive step back, this episode focuses on the biggest red flags surrounding the roster heading into Opening Day. Alex also sets t...

The Pirates made one of their most surprising roster decisions of camp, and Alex Stumpf breaks down what it really means. Carmen Mlodzinski gets the first crack at the fifth starter role, but the bigger story is how the Pirates are piecing this spot together with Hunter Barco and Jose Urquidy also heading north. Alex explains why this could be more of a short-term “Voltron” solution than a traditi...

On this episode of Bucco Brew, we break down the Pirates’ biggest late-spring roster decisions heading into Opening Day. Konnor Griffin is headed to Triple-A, Carmen Mlodzinski has officially claimed the fifth starter job, and the Pirates’ infield alignment is starting to take shape with Jared Triolo at short and Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke in the mix at third. We dig into whether the Pirates mad...

On today’s OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down the Pirates’ decision to leave Konnor Griffin off the Opening Day roster and why the move, while disappointing, should not change the big picture. He explains what Griffin showed this spring, where the holes still are against upper-level pitching, and why this feels more like a brief pause than any kind of setback. The hype is real, but so is the develop...

Ty Ty and DiNardo go live after the Pirates vs. Tigers Spring Breakout game to break down everything from one of the most exciting nights of the spring. With top Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez getting the start, this game puts the organization’s future front and center. We’ll talk standout performances, biggest takeaways, who helped their stock the most, and what it all could mean moving forward....

Alex Stumpf is looking ahead to Friday’s Spring Breakout game and spotlighting the two Pirates pitchers he believes are the must-watch arms on the mound: Seth Hernandez and Zander Mueth. From Hernandez’s elite pitch mix and sky-high ceiling to Mueth’s intriguing slider, improved strike throwing, and sleeper breakout potential, this OffBeat episode is all about two young pitchers who could make ser...

Is Braxton Ashcraft about to force his way into a much bigger role than anyone expected? On this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down why Ashcraft’s spring is turning heads, what makes his slider so nasty, how the sinker could unlock his entire arsenal, and why the health question is the only thing standing between him and serious breakout potential. If Ashcraft really is this good, the Pir...

Tonight on NS9LIVE, Jim, Ty Ty, and DiNardo have a packed show as we get closer and closer to Opening Day. We’re kicking things off the only way we know how with the NS9 Really Stupid Question before diving into a brand new Jimalytics segment, this time focused on MLB’s new ABS system. Jim’s got the spreadsheets ready, which means we’ll probably make fun of him for it, but that’s part of the fun....

Alex Stumpf breaks down why Mitch Keller’s latest evolution matters more than one rough spring outing. From a changing pitch mix to a different mindset on the mound, this episode looks at how Keller is adapting, why his work against left-handed hitters still matters, and why the Pirates may not need him to be flashy, they just need him to be steady. For a rotation full of upside, Keller’s value mi...

Alex Stumpf takes a closer look at one of the more complicated long-term questions facing the Pirates: second base. Brandon Lowe helps fix a major need for 2026, but what does that mean for Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, and Termarr Johnson moving forward? Alex breaks down why Gonzales' fastball issues matter, why Yorke still has something to prove, and how Termarr’s development could shape the Pirate...