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“Najee Harris spoke out and now he’s unemployed.” Man, I’m not going to lie, I knew Tomlin would be great on TV but him being unafraid to take shots at anyone (including his own guys) makes him 100x better.
Just a match made in heaven.
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The Burgh Bulletin retweeted
This got my attention. Why? Because we saw legitimate talent in September. In the not-too-distant past, we were not only finishing bad seasons, but the callups were less than promising. No fan wants to go into an offseason with that dismal feeling.
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The hate for this World Series is so forced. Enjoy baseball. We don’t know when we’re getting it again after this.
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RFJ.
Defining Moment #14
Flores Go-Ahead HR vs. the Royals on September 20
by @burghbulletin
As the cold, harsh reality that the Pirates wouldn’t be making the postseason in 2026 took over in the August and September months, a perception shift was needed for fans to still make the most out of the baseball that was left. Instead of sinking in the feelings of sadness and despair, it was important to understand that what remained of the 2026 campaign was still undoubtedly important as we look ahead into the future of the franchise.
Specifically, what makes a period at the end of the year like this special is finding and affirming answers in some of your younger pieces. Each additional at bat and game these guys get under their belts gets you one step closer to seeing how they truly fit in your organization moving forward. And in some cases, a guy can go out there and answer that question before you even have to.
(Meet Rafael Flores Jr.)
The Pirates acquired Flores Jr. from the Yankees back at the 2025 trade deadline as part of the David Bednar deal. At the time of the trade, Flores Jr. was the Yankees 8th ranked prospect. Given the circumstance of rather hopelessness surrounding the Pirates catching situation at the time, it felt like a respectable move to infuse the position with some young upside and talent.
Listed at 6’3, 233 lbs, Flores gives you a lot to like in terms of frame for being a catcher. His defense is certainly not a strong suit, but the bat is almost certainly what lured Cherington into dealing for him. Across several levels of MiLB in 2025, Flores Jr. finished with a .280 BA, 22 HRs, and an .825 OPS. The season before, he was even better, posting an .875 OPS in 2024 in the minors.
As a catcher myself, I hold high value towards catcher’s defense not only in the general areas – receiving, throwing, blocking, now ABS recognition – but also in the way they can work with pitchers and really help keep a staff under control. It’s a big reason why I’m normally not too critical of the Pirates sacrificing Davis’s bat in the lineup for Skenes starts. I do believe the psychological and overall emotional comforting ability a reliable backstop has for a pitcher is priceless, and it’s human nature that some pitchers work better with certain guys. With that being said, I think this is an area where Flores can make up for some of his deficiencies.
(The Breakout)
With Joey Bart being shipped out of town and Henry Davis once again having a putrid season at the plate, Endy Rodgriguez was the Pirates’ only saving grace at catcher. Endy was great in his time, posting 7 HRs and an .840 OPS in his 135 ABs, but he once again couldn’t escape the injury bug as he had several stints on the IL and finally underwent season-ending labrum surgery in August. As concerns arose over Endy’s ability to even catch moving forward given his fragility, Flores Jr.’s opportunity came.
Flores really struggled this season in Triple-A Indianapolis, a sharp contrast to his high production at the plate in the previous 2 years. Flores Jr. had a short stint with the Bucs in June as Henry Davis went on the paternity leave list and was then again recalled on July 8th. He had a rather pedestrian role in his first few weeks, and even suffered a concussion that sidelined him for the remainder of the month. He was activated on August 1st, and with the Pirates desperately needing help against left handed pitchers, Flores saw his role expand.
Flores Jr.’s first big day came against the Marlins on August 13th, where he blasted 2 home runs that accounted for 6 of the team’s 13 runs. Maybe even more impressive though, he masterfully worked behind the plate with Braxton Ashcraft to deliver one of the most dominant pitching performances we’ve ever seen from a Pirate. In just 85 pitches, Ashcraft fanned 10 Marlins and threw a complete game, just 1 HR shy of facing the minimum. As I mentioned, Flores’s ability to work with a guy like Ashcraft will be paramount to making up for some of his defensive inefficiencies and ensuring he’s in the lineup as much as possible.
Over the next several weeks, Flores continued to flourish. He knocked out 6 homers in August’s final 15 games, including another multi-homer game against the Tigers when he came in as a pinch hitter. Just wow. He continued working especially well with guys like Ashcraft and Jones, which are vital arms in the rotation to have under control. He was making a pretty good case for himself.
(Raffy Got the Royals)
Well, wouldn’t you know, he continued doing his thing as September rolled around. What was becoming especially evident was not only was the power playing, it was playing in huge moments in games and it was having a huge impact on the win-loss column. Maybe no example is better than what he did on the final homestand of the season.
As the Royals came to town for the second to last home series of the year, the Pirates were effectively eliminated from postseason contention that Friday night. That didn’t mean the games didn’t matter though, as the potential of finishing the season over .500 was still rather meaningful to most. Flores Jr. was a key contributor in the Pirates win over the Royals in the second game of the series on Saturday, going 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Up two games to none, the Pirates had a grand opportunity for a sweep and to get their 79th win on Sunday.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th, the Pirates were facing the real possibility of another sweep slipping through their fingers. That was, until RFJ happened. Royals reliever Nate Pearson hung a 2-1 slider over the middle-third and Flores Jr. made him pay, sending a 426 ft. shot out into the left field seats at PNC Park. The Pirates would hold on and break out the brooms, as the young Flores delivered in yet another huge moment for his team down the stretch.
(Final Thoughts)
Finishing the season with an .858 OPS and 11 HRs over just 148 ABs, Rafael Flores Jr. has put himself in pole position to be the Pirates guy behind the plate in 2027. It’s possible that upon recovery Endy Rodriguez finds some time again back there, but it’s hard to envision a plan that doesn’t have Flores at the forefront of the position. Flores is the last part of the really encouraging trend I brought up in one of the previous columns, where we saw guys from the minor leagues not just come up and make an impact, but really take full advantage of the opportunities given to them and were catalysts for the team as a whole. It really feels like we have our starting catcher for the foreseeable future.
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The Burgh Bulletin is a young, up and coming Pittsburgh sports fan who enjoys covering the Pirates as well as the other PGH teams and Penn State, in a variety of ways through writing, engagement, and media. Though the pain and suffering is real, there is no greater joy of his than getting to watch his Buccos’ annual (maybe not now) 162 game marathon over the spring and summer months, longing to see that extend into the fall. He hopes you’ll enjoy his work over the next few weeks of this series! #LetsGoBucs
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I want to give a huge thanks to @GMBCSuperfan for the opportunity to work with so many talented writers on this series and also for his continued encouragement to myself and so many others on this platform.
He picked me out just as I was getting started on here and his dedication to writing about the Pirates inspired me to start doing a little bit myself.
Pirates Twitter couldn’t be luckier to have him be a part of it. 🏴☠️
Out today is @burghbulletin with his third and final reflection for this series on the defining moments of the 2026 season.
Not for nothing, but I need to take a moment to brag on this young writer for a minute. What is so clear in his writing is a point-of-view and understanding of the game that can only come from playing between the lines. TBB is a catcher himself, so covering Rafael Flores Jr. was a natural assignment.
What doesn't come through in his writing is his age -- he's a high school senior, and you would absolutely never know that from how he communicates, whether through his writing or the assignment/editorial process.
Learn more about him through this feature from back in May: x.com/GMBCSuperfan/status/20…
We have at least one more to go with @MattGajtka batting clean-up with #15 tomorrow, and then we'll wrap a bow on this thing. I hope you've been enjoying it as a series. I know we've enjoyed putting it together for everyone!
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Here are some of my takeaways from my post which I’m now seeing is the 4th most viewed X post of the day:
Firstly, I’m speechless. I figured it being pretty funny and about Tomlin that it might do some numbers in the Pittsburgh niche, but never in a million years would’ve I thought it would get this much traction.
Funny enough, I do think a lot of what Tomlin is going on and saying is B.S, similar to his coaching days. Like him saying he agreed with Campbell going for it on that 4th down from the 20 is preposterous given how Tomlin’s been known to be one of the most conservative gameday coaches of all time.
But overall I love all of it. It’s who he is, man. It’s pure joy and entertainment seeing him spew out his Tomlinisms and I’m honestly not sure he ever will go back to coaching after this. Probably a lead analyst role is awaiting him next.
“Najee Harris spoke out and now he’s unemployed.” Man, I’m not going to lie, I knew Tomlin would be great on TV but him being unafraid to take shots at anyone (including his own guys) makes him 100x better.
Just a match made in heaven.
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This is some great stuff by the defense. One of the advantages of having veterans on that side…
Revealing comment from #Steelers LB Elandon Roberts. Noticed on film Saints QB Tyler Shough wasn't making checks himself - HC Kellen Moore relayed them in.
So Steelers defense stayed static until < 15 seconds when playcallers can't talk to QB. Two examples of it below. First one, Patrick Queen runs into A-gap w/ 14 seconds and Saints run right into him.
(via @deeboandjoe)
steelersdepot.com/2026/10/he…
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MLB was definitely planning on using this graphic for Game 6 but now they’ve realized the series won’t make it there 😂
Will the Brewers win their first title or can the Rays force a Game 5?
Watch Game 4 of the #WorldSeries tonight at 8 PM ET on FOX, FOX One and FOX Deportes!
ALT 2026 World Series Presented by Capital One Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Jackson Chourio William Contreras Sal Frelick Junior Caminero Yandy Díaz Chandler Simpson Pictured: Cutouts of Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Chandler Simpson sit inside of various shapes. Chourio, Contreras and Frelick wear blue and yellow Brewers uniforms with blue and yellow batting helmets. Caminero, Díaz and Simpson all wear white Rays throwback uniforms with dark blue caps and batting helmets. Images of St. Petersburg and the Commissioner’s Trophy are also featured.
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Assuming he has ties with Murphy?
The Pirates are hiring Astros Triple-A pitching coach Sean Buchanan, a source confirms. The Pirates plan to have Buchanan working in the upper levels of the minor league system, with some details and his exact title TBD.
@Chandler_Rome was on it.
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🎯🎯🎯
Pat McAfee is a cool dude.
He brought something different that was needed. And like anything else, the big corporations mess it up.
We DON'T want more.
We liked it because it was DIFFERENT.
And now that it's EVERYTHING, it's not DIFFERENT. It's obnoxious overkill.
Full transparency, I haven't watched a single pre-dame show in about a decade.
I tuned in yesterday for 5 minutes & couldn't take it.
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Penn Stater for life.
Penn State WR Chase Sowell on the team moving forward:
“You should still have fun. You should still enjoy it. You’re playing for one of the greatest universities in the world. It’s an amazing opportunity to show who wants this because they love football and love this place.”
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The Burgh Bulletin retweeted
"kill a mosquito with an axe as we say in the business" my brother in christ nice try. nobody says that but you. one of the most mike tomlin originals i've ever heard. and i love it.
“Najee Harris spoke out and now he’s unemployed.” Man, I’m not going to lie, I knew Tomlin would be great on TV but him being unafraid to take shots at anyone (including his own guys) makes him 100x better.
Just a match made in heaven.
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The Burgh Bulletin retweeted
Defining Moment #13
Lowe Hits a Walk-Off HR vs. Tigers on August 19
by @GMBCSuperfan
If you get a bunch of Pirates fans in a room, they are likely to disagree about a bunch of stuff. Strange how a lifetime of losing creates a lot of disagreement about who is to blame or how best to right the perceived wrongs. But one thing that is near-universally felt and celebrated -- Brandon Lowe’s 2026 season was pure joy.
Similarly, even the most anti-Cherington person will grudgingly acquiesce that the Brandon Lowe trade was his best in the GM seat. That it is even called “the Brandon Lowe” trade, and not the Mason Montgomery trade, named for our new closer who was lights out down the stretch, is proof of his impact this past season.
There are a bunch of amazing Lowe moments over the course of the season, and his walk-off HR against the Tigers in August was only one of several big, game-altering efforts in a season that saw him hit 35 HR and knock in 96 runs. But given that the Pirates were on such a miserable slide throughout August, it was perhaps the most emotionally evocative of his late-game heroics.
Getting to Know Bam-Bam
When the trade for Brandon Lowe was announced, I remember thinking it was a smart move. Initially I spent perhaps equal time contemplating the departure of Mike Burrows and what that would do to the starting rotation. Lowe was a great hitter, but he was often injured, and was billed as fairly poor defensively. He was also likely a one-and-done guy who I just hoped would shine in his walk year. Montgomery and Mangum seemed promising if untested.
Boy, were my first instincts off. Not only was Lowe an extraordinary left-handed power bat who instantly improved the lineup, but his defense was actually outstanding. He batted second most of the season and was the Lefty McThump we’ve been seeking for years.
Lowe put up a 5.8 WAR for 2026, exceeding his best season (a 4.6 WAR in 2021) when he hit 39 HR. In 2026, Lowe played in a career high 150 games and was a monster at PNC Park with 20 HR and an .848 OPS. The short porch in right field was made for him. He won the hearts of Pirates fans and was an instant crowd favorite.
The Turn-Around That Began in August
Lowe helped to power the Pirates to a winning record at the break, but the club was not good to start the second half. Going into the ASB with a 50-47 record, the team proceeded to go 8-17 and found themselves six games under .500 by mid-August.
One big reason was the utter collapse of the bats. Valdez had turned off like a light switch after carrying the team for much of June and early July. Heading into the August 17-19 series with the Tigers, Reynolds was sporting a .594 OPS in the second half, and Horwitz had come back ice cold. With Cruz, Griffin and O’Hearn still out with injuries, the team was hurting something fierce.
Lowe wasn’t faring much better, with a .643 OPS in August, but he’d at least still been hitting home runs -- pretty much the only power bat still producing. He’d hit a three-run HR against the Red Sox the series before that powered the Pirates to an 8-4 win.
In the final game of the match-up with the Tigers, the Pirates were down 3-2 in the 9th. The inning began with a Mangum strikeout before Flores came to the plate, having pinch-hit for Davis in the 6th and narrowed the Tigers’ lead with a solo HR. Surely lightning couldn’t strike twice.
But it did. And after an out by Horwitz, Lowe came to the plate with the game tied and seemingly headed for extra innings. Or, you know, Bam-Bam could just hit a walk-off HR to win it.
It was euphoric, for those of us who hung around until the final inning. The team's malaise had soured what was shaping into a special season, and it had been awhile since that elation had been present in any Pirates game. It suggested that there might still be some hope to be found.
The Bottom Line 📌
Ah, but hope is fleeting. The next night, the Pirates lost the first of three games to the Dodgers and by the end were once again six games under .500. So maybe Lowe’s game-winning, walk-off home run didn’t really matter after all. Maybe it was just a blip in an otherwise fruitless pursuit of relevance for the hapless Pirates.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was the delayed spark that lit the fuse. The Buccos finished the year 18-11 after that Dodgers series, and though they didn’t make the playoffs, they did end with a winning record. And without a doubt, a huge reason for that was Lowe.
In a season filled with moments that could have broken this team, Lowe delivered one that helped put it back together.
I know there is a strong sentiment that he be brought back, and though it doesn't fit the payroll for 2027, it's hard to argue with it conceptually. He was so much more than expected, and set a high bar for the future.
Long live Bam-Bam.
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GMBCSuperfan is the founder of The Early Shift, a daily Pirates column published exclusively on X. During normal working hours, he serves as a social innovation consultant, trying to make the world a better place for the average Joe. But very early each morning, he transforms into a Pirates obsessive charged with publishing 700 words to appease the masses. Or, you know, the 15 people who read the column everyday.
#letsgobucs
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Is it possible McAfee is just burning out? I mean the dude is on the run going everywhere 24/7 and something just seems off.
ESPN set him up with this overexpose to eventually be subject to viewer fatigue and we’re seeing it on full throttle.
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