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Podcast: North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast
Episode: Which Pittsburgh Pirates Will Finally Deliver? 2026 Breakout Picks
Description: The Pirates’ 2025 season was a frustrating mix of promising underlying metrics and disappointing outcomes. Their team expected wOBA (xwOBA) suggested they were doing far more damage than their actual numbers showed.
In this episode, we dig into:
Which hitters under-performed their expected numbers (exit velocity, xSLG, xwOBA) and are set up for a rebound.
The young players who might finally take a significant step forward.
The offense vs. pitching dynamic: with the Pirates pitching better than expected, offense has to improve for 2026.
Key changes (approach, coaching, roster) that could unlock a bo...