The minor league season is in full swing. The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball right now, so they have plenty of talent spread across the minor leagues. Unsurprisingly, many of their notable prospects have gotten off to strong starts. While it’s still early into the 2026 campaign, many fans are hoping that these three prospects’ hot starts isn’t a fluke, and only a preview of things to come this year.
Murf Gray was the Pirates’ second-round competitive balance pick. The third baseman was selected out of Fresno State after he batted .324/.398/.639 with 18 home runs in his final season. Gray showed off a keen ability to avoid strikeouts, with just a 10.8% K%. Gray kicked off 2026 at A-Ball Bradenton, where he has continued to rake at the plate.
In 40 plate appearances, Gray already has a dozen hits. Five have gone for extra bases, including two doubles and three home runs. The third baseman has ten strikeouts, but is not swinging and missing at a high rate. His whiff rate is only 25%.
Gray is considered a bat-first corner infielder, and his bat has definitely been loud at A-Ball thus far. Baseball America noted he has a very aggressive, pull-heavy approach, as evidenced by his single walk. However, Gray’s offensive ceiling is certainly high. Given he has had no trouble making contact and has shown off good power throughout college, Gray’s start is hopefully not a fluke.
Wyatt Sanford is one of the many middle-infield prospects the Pirates have drafted recently. He was the Pirates’ second-round pick in 2024 and was their third straight high school selection to start the draft. Sanford split 2025 at the Pirates’ Florida Complex League team and A-Ball Bradenton. The shortstop hit well overall, slashing .243/.384/.376, and a 122 wRC+ over 273 plate appearances. Sanford walked at a healthy 12.5% rate with just a 19.8% K%. He was also effective on the basepaths, going 34-for-42 in stolen base attempts.
Despite 2026 only being Sanford’s age-20 season, the Pirates opted to start him at High-A Greensboro. So far, their choice looks like the right decision. Sanford also has a dozen hits in 44 plate appearances. Half of his base knocks have gone for extra bases. That includes three home runs, two doubles, and a triple. He is still drawing walks at a solid rate, with a six already. Plus, he is already five-for-six in stolen base attempts.
There are two things worth noting. One is that Sanford has a BABIP of .529. The other is that he has struck out 15 times. However, Sanford maintaining overall above-average production would be very promising. He is a good runner and a quality defender in the infield. Developing into a solid offensive force would make his outlook a lot brighter.
The Pirates drafted Carlson Reed out of West Virginia University with their fourth-round pick in 2023. Despite coming out of college as a reliever, the Pirates made Reed a starter, and it worked out tremendously. In 108.2 innings, Reed put up a 1.99 ERA, struck out 29.7% of opponents, and had an 11.7% walk rate between Bradenton and Greensboro. 2025 was an unfortunate season for Reed as he started on the IL due to back problems.
Reed is returning to Greensboro to open 2026, but he may not stay there for very long. He has pitched seven innings so far and has looked very good. Reed has only allowed two earned runs on four hits. He has also struck out an impressive 13 opponents so far this year. Reed has dished out four free passes, which is about the only negative of his early-season results.
When fully healthy, Reed has shown four pitches with above-average or better potential. He throws his four-seamer and sinker in the low-90s. His primary breaking offering is a low-80s slider. It is the best pitch in his arsenal. Finally, he rounds out his repertoire with a low-80s change-up. If Reed can sustain his strong start to 2026, he’ll be yet another notable pitching prospect the Pirates have developed.
