The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2025 draft class has looked outstanding so far. Seth Hernandez has been nothing short of spectacular in the minor leagues, and their second-round competitive balance pick, third baseman Murf Gray, has done excellent in the minor leagues. Gray has done so well in the Pirates’ system that you might be able to already pencil him into a starting role at some point in 2027 and beyond.
Drafted out of Fresno State, Gray’s final college season was impressive. In 279 plate appearances, the corner infielder batted .324/.398/.639 with a .434 wOBA and 134 wRC+. He showed off plenty of power, going yard 18 times with a .315 isolated slugging percentage. Although Gray didn’t walk at a high rate, with an 8.2% BB%, he struck out in just 10.8% of his plate appearances.
Gray didn’t appear in any pro games in 2025, and started 2026 off at A-Ball Bradenton. It only took him 166 plate appearances before receiving a promotion to High-A Greensboro. Between the two levels, Gray is hitting .336/.420/.614, picking up right where he left off in college. He already has 20 home runs in just 324 plate appearances, leading to a .278 ISO. Gray is walking more frequently than he did in college, with an 11.1% BB%. On top of that, he has only struck out 20% of the time, with a swinging strike rate under 10% (9.7%, to be exact).
Gray is already in his age-22 season. He is gunning for a Double-A promotion already. It’s only been 159 plate appearances at Greensboro, but he has a 1.025 OPS, .440 wOBA, and 150 wRC+. There’s very little else he can do to prove that he is ready for the next level of the minor leagues. His test at Double-A will be the biggest test of his career thus far, but based on how he has done so far, there shouldn’t be much worry that he can handle higher levels of competition.
If Gray hits well at Altoona, he puts himself on a very similar trajectory as star shortstop Konnor Griffin. Griffin was drafted in the first round of the 2024 draft. He opened 2025 at Bradenton, just like Gray did. After a scorching hot start to the year, Griffin was promoted to Greensboro. He spent about 50 games at Bradenton and Greensboro, then got promoted to Double-A Altoona in August.
Of course, it is not a one-for-one situation. Gray was a college draft pick, while Griffin was a high school draft pick. While Gray is still a very talented prospect, very few prospects will ever come close to the type of potential Griffin has. It also took Gray only 38 games to reach Greensboro, and he is already 34 games into his time at High-A.
However, Gray’s path to the Major Leagues should be met with little resistance, based on the depth chart. Although Jared Triolo isn’t unvaluable, the Pirates would more than likely give Gray a chance at locking down third base. Nick Gonzales has proven to be a solid player, but is better suited to a middle infield position than to third base. The Bucs could also use Gray at designated hitter.
Everything Murf Gray is doing right now is putting him on track to be an important member of the Pirates sometime in 2027. He is on a faster track to the Major Leagues than Griffin was at this point last year. There should be a path for playing time for Gray next year as well. With his offensive upside, he could be exactly what the Pirates need next year at the hot corner.
