# DOMINATE: Why Pittsburgh Pirates All Star Picks Are FINALLY About MERIT Not Charity Work

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933/dominate-why-pittsburgh-pirates-all-star-picks-are-finally-about-merit-not-charity-work
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933/dominate-why-pittsburgh-pirates-all-star-picks-are-finally-about-merit-not-charity-work.md
Podcast: [Locked On Pirates - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Pirates](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933)
Published: 2026-06-04T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-pirates/
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/c332f6/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/ca178804-c720-476f-9857-ad70690e8c6a/episodes/c66e7107-a20b-4a60-bd97-e29c89c26cb5/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=ca178804-c720-476f-9857-ad70690e8c6a&awEpisodeId=c66e7107-a20b-4a60-bd97-e29c89c26cb5&feed=z3NI6hOx
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933/episodes/dominate-why-pittsburgh-pirates-all-star-picks-are-finally-about-merit-not-charity-work
Duration seconds: 1905

## Resource

Pittsburgh Pirates fans finally have a real reason to fill out their MLB All-Star ballots with pride. Could a new era of legit All-Star representation be dawning in Pittsburgh? Gary Morgan highlights Spencer Horwitz’s breakout season, Brandon Lowe’s dominance at second base, and Nick Gonzales’ case for third—each making a surprising push against big names like Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson. The discussion breaks down the Pirates’ strongest All-Star contenders across the National League ballot, weighing the impact of stats, fan voting quirks, and name recognition. On the pitching side, Paul Skenes looks like a lock, while Braxton Ashcraft, Gregory Soto, and Evan Sisk quietly build their resumes. With multiple Pirates in the running—not just the token representative—this All-Star season feels different. Can Pittsburgh send a true squad to Philadelphia? Find out how this year’s ballot is all about legitimacy, not just loyalty.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933/episodes/dominate-why-pittsburgh-pirates-all-star-picks-are-finally-about-merit-not-charity-work/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-pirates-daily-podcast-on-the-pittsburgh-pirates-63933/dominate-why-pittsburgh-pirates-all-star-picks-are-finally-about-merit-not-charity-work.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.