CONTENDERS: Pirates Jump Into Wildcard as Esmerlyn Valdez HOMERS and Jared Jones Leads Charge [LQIZl6wcXxt]
Pittsburgh Pirates surge into the NL Wild Card race after a statement series win over the Cleveland Guardians—can Paul Skenes and Esmerlyn Valdez fuel a true playoff push? Gary Morgan breaks down how elite starting pitching, big bats from Valdez and Nick Gonzales, and a resilient mindset put the Bucs directly into postseason position. Key questions swirl around a struggling bullpen—will Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana be enough, or is it time to overhaul the relief strategy? With the MLB trade deadline looming, Gary Morgan covers which prospects are truly untouchable, clarifies the reality of the Pirates' payroll stance, and explores realistic trade targets who could solidify the club’s playoff credentials. Don’t miss this bold, honest analysis of the Pirates’ playoff charge and what must happen to keep October baseball in sight. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Amazon This Back To School Season, spend less on your kids, with Amazon. With Amazon’s low Back To School Prices, just spend less on your kids. Because every dollar you don’t spend on them, is a dollar you haven’t spent on them. Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at Stance Check out the ICON collection from Stance—premium comfort, performance, and durability designed for whatever your day brings. Use promo Code LOCKEDON at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Learn more at Stance. The Official Sock Partner of Major League Baseball. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at KALSHI For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code LOCKEDON to get ten dollars when you trade ten. Kalshi. Trade on anything. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #Pittsburgh Pirates, Pirates Wild Card, MLB playoffs, Pirates bullpen issues, trade deadline, Paul Skenes, Esmerlyn Valdez, Jared Jones, Nick Gonzales, Jacob Gonzalez, Khristian Curtis, Gregory Soto, Dennis Santana, Travis Bazzana, Wilbur Dotel, Antoine Kelly, Hunter Barco, Seth Hernandez, Brandon Lowe, Mason Miller, MLB news, Pirates rumors, Pirates Yankees, Guardians series, Pirates prospects