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Pirates Prospect's 2026 Season Gets Even Better
Sep 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hats and gloves in the dugout against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates Prospect's 2026 Season Gets Even Better

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell  |  Last updated May 5, 2026 7:48 AM ET
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have many top rated prospects that are performing well this season, but one prospect is making the case that fans should start paying attention to him right now.

Pirates third base prospect Murf Gray has swung the bat impressively for Single-A Bradenton and recently earned Florida State Player of the Week honors for his performances against the Lakeland Tigers, the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at home, April 28-May 3.

Gray slashed .455/.518/.846 for an OPS of 1.364, with 10 hits in 22 at-bats, two doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and two walks to four strikeouts.

The Pirates infielder is still just a month into his first professional season, but Gray hitting the way he has will surely get himself a chance to earn promotion in the near future.

Looking Back a Gray's Incredible Week

Gray had an incredible outing in the 13-6 win on April 30, where he had three hits and three RBI.

This included an RBI-single in the bottom of the third inning, got hit by a pitch and scored in the bottom of the fifth inning, walked and then later scored in the bottom of the sixth inning, plus a two-RBI-double in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Gray also excelled in the 13-4 win on May 2, where he hit two home runs, had four hits, four RBI, walked and then got intentionally walked for 11 total bases.

He hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning off of Lakeland right-handed starting pitcher Max Alba, sending a 93 mph four-seam fastball at the low part of the strike zone 107.9 mph off the bat and 408 feet to deep center field to give Bradenton a 2-1 lead.

Gray then hit his second two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking an 84.5 mph slider over the middle of the plate off of Lakeland left-handed pitcher Caleb Leys and sending it 99.1 mph off the bat and 359 feet over the left field wall to tie the game up at 4-4.

He hit his double in the bottom of the eighth inning and later scored to make it 11-4, marking his first game as a pro with multiple home runs and first four-hit game.

Gray also added a sacrifice fly in the 8-5 win on May 3, capping off his week with the final run in the victory.

What the Pirates Have in Murf Gray

The Pirates took Gray with the 73rd overall pick and in Competitive Balance Round B in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Fresno State.

Gray had great success at Fresno State, earning Mountain West Championship MVP and All-Mountain West Conference First Team honors for his play in 2025 and was Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2023.

Triston is his first name, but fans will know him by "Murf", and also as an imposing figure at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.

He has been excellent for Bradenton this year, slashing .375/.446/.625 for an OPS of 1.071 in 26 games, with 36 hits in 96 at-bats, 60 total bases, 19 runs, nine doubles, five home runs, 26 RBI and eight walks to 22 strikeouts.

Gray ranks amongst the best hitters in the FSL right now and he'll continue to do so if he keeps up his play so far.

Stat Ranking
Hits/Batting Average/Total Bases First
RBI Tied-First
OPS Second
On-Base/Slugging % Third
Doubles Tied-Third
Home Runs Tied-Fifth
Runs Tied-Sixth

Gray is doing almost everything right at the plate, aside from a low walk rate, as he's driving balls for power and getting extra base hits consistently.

He's 22 years old and the Pirates will likely look to move him up to High-A Greensboro if he keeps hitting the way he has.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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