Four Pirates Prospect Hitters Standing Out Early in 2026

Valdez has vastly improved his plate discipline from previous seasons, with 59 walks to 133 strikeouts in 2024 and 56 walks to 130 strikeouts in 2025. His 23.3% walk rate is in the 96th percentile, according to Prospect Savant, and his 21 walks lead the International League.

He also ranks in the 80s-90s percentile in most categories on Prospect Savant and he's hitting the ball incredibly well to start the campaign.

Valdez is on the 40-man roster and if he keeps hitting as well as he is, the Pirates may consider looking at him as a potential option this season if they need a right-handed power bat.

No. 2 3B Murf Gray (Single-A)

The Pirates took Murf Gray with the 73rd overall pick out of Fresno State in the 2025 MLB Draft in Competitive Balance Round B and he's hit incredibly well with Bradenton.

Gray is slashing .382/.460/.618 for an OPS of 1.078 in 14 games, with 21 hits in 55 at-bats, four doubles, three home runs, 15 RBI and four walks to 11 strikeouts.

He ranks amongst the best hitters in the Florida State League (FSL), with his 21 hits the most of any hitter.

He is on an eight-game hitting streak and has seven multi-hit games, with two three-hit games for the Marauders in 2026.

Gray is just 22 years old, but showing that he can hit this well in Single-A should put him on track for an early promotion to Greensboro.

No. 3 SSWyatt Sanford (High-A)

Wyatt Sanford missed most of the final two months of his first professional season in 2025, but is already making up for it in 2026 with some great hitting.

He is slashing .300/.453/.620 for an OPS of 1.073 in 14 games at High-A, with 15 hits in 50 at-bats, 18 runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, nine RBI, nine walks to 22 strikeouts and six stolen bases on seven attempts.

Sanford ranks amongst the best hitters in the South Atlantic League and his power he's shown is a good surprise, as he's not known for his home-run hitting.

The Pirates took Sanford out of Independence High School in Frisco, Texas with the 47th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in Competitive Balance Round A, the next pick after Griffin.

He is also the son of former Pirates player Chance Sanford, who played in 14 games for the team in 1998.

Sanford will hope that he gets more of a chance than his father did with the Pirates and his showing at Greensboro is a good sign that he'll continue making progress on that front, perhaps with a promotion to Altoona by the end of the season.

No. 4 C/1B Axiel Plaz (High-A)

Sanford isn't the only good hitter at Greensboro in 2026, with catcher/first baseman Axiel Plaz also swinging the bat well.

Plaz is slashing .340/.426/.553 for an OPS of .979 in 12 games, with 16 hits in 47 at-bats, four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI, five walks to 12 strikeouts and three stolen bases.

He has hit amongst the best in the South Atlantic League too, making for a great duo between him and Sanford at Greensboro.

Plaz only played in 11 games the last three months in 2025, but did get a chance to get more game time in the Arizona Fall League before the year ended.

The Pirates like what Plaz brings to the plate, which is why they signed him for $350,000 in January 2022, but will want to see him continue doing that as he moves up through the minor leagues.