Esmerlyn Valdez has emerged as one of the most important pieces of the Pirates’ lineup, providing something that has become increasingly rare across baseball: legitimate right-handed power.

Alex Stumpf looks at what has made Valdez’s rookie season so encouraging, why his .541 slugging percentage stands out among right-handed hitters, and the concerns that remain with his strikeout and whiff rates. Even if Valdez is penciled into the 2027 lineup, Pittsburgh still needs to find another right-handed bat.

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Oneil Cruz provided the only offense the Pirates needed.

Cruz launched a ninth-inning home run off Mason Miller to break a scoreless tie and lift Pittsburgh to a 1-0 win over the Padres. Even better, Cruz apparently told Hannah Mears before the at-bat, “Pay attention. I’m about to hit a home run.”

DiNardo and Neil break down the incredible Cruz homer, an encouraging outing from Paul Skenes, another dominant night from the Pirates bullpen, and Pittsburgh taking the first two games of the series in San Diego.

Skenes tossed six scoreless innings with three hits, zero walks and four strikeouts, while Camilo Doval, Dennis Santana and Mason Montgomery finished the shutout.

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The Pirates entered 2026 expecting to contend. Instead, year seven of the Ben Cherington era is ending with Pittsburgh essentially eliminated from the postseason picture.

Alex Stumpf looks at what that means for Cherington’s future, but also why this winter presents a unique problem. With an MLB lockout looming in December, the Pirates may have very little time to conduct a GM search, reshape the front office, address coaching and scouting, and prepare a roster that still has Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz and a potentially competitive core.

Is Pittsburgh better off making a change, or would starting over put them even further behind?

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The Pirates somehow escaped San Diego with a 3-2 win in 12 innings after Nick Gonzales finally delivered the go-ahead run. DiNardo and Neil break down another tremendous start from Braxton Ashcraft, a brutal night from the offense, the bizarre balk that cost Ashcraft a run, and a bullpen that kept the Pirates alive long enough to win it.

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The 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates season is officially dead.

At 63-69, the Pirates sit 8.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with just 30 games remaining after an incredible collapse. On today’s Bucco Brew, we look back at how a season that once had legitimate postseason hopes completely fell apart and what actually went wrong.

We’re also digging into one of the biggest explanations surrounding this team: injuries.

The Pirates had injuries. But did injuries actually kill their season?

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The Pirates were supposed to be ready in 2026. They improved the roster over the winter, aggressively addressed the bullpen at the trade deadline and had a Wild Card spot within reach less than a month ago.

Instead, they've collapsed again.

Alex Stumpf looks at why this late-season collapse feels different from 2011, 2012 and 2024, why the usual excuses don't completely work this time, and how several of the players Pittsburgh was counting on have failed to deliver during the most meaningful stretch of the season.

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The Pirates finished an awful weekend in Los Angeles with a 4-0 loss and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. Cody and Doug discuss a team that looked simply uncompetitive, the organizational failures that led them here, and why Ben Cherington's process is no longer good enough.

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The Pirates dropped their second straight to the Dodgers, falling 4-3 in another game that was there for the taking.

Tyler and Neil break down Pittsburgh's missed opportunities at the plate, Jared Jones' command issues, another strong showing from Oneil Cruz since returning from the IL, and a Pirates team that continues to find ways to let winnable games slip away.

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The Pirates fought all the way back against the Dodgers, but a golden opportunity in extra innings went completely to waste.

Oneil Cruz continued his ridiculous return with another home run, the bullpen delivered 5.2 excellent innings, and Pittsburgh had runners at the corners with nobody out in the 10th. They still couldn't score, and the Dodgers eventually walked it off, 5-4.

DiNardo and Neil break down the missed opportunities, Bubba Chandler's uneven start, the decision to remove Rafael Flores, Henry Davis' struggles, and another huge night from Cruz.

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Alex Stumpf came into this homestand ready to declare the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates dead. Instead, they took two of three from both the Red Sox and Tigers and kept the tiniest bit of hope alive.

Now comes the real test. The Pirates head out for a nine-game road trip against the Dodgers, Padres and Cardinals with essentially no margin for error. Alex looks at what it would take to get back into the Wild Card race, the concerns surrounding Paul Skenes, the return of Oneil Cruz and why this really could be Pittsburgh’s last stand.

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