Pirates Select First College Bat in 2025 MLB Draft

Gray had a strong junior season with Fresno State, slashing .324/.398/.639 for an OPS of 1.037, with 78 hits, 22 doubles, 18 home runs, 73 RBIs and 23 walks to 30 strikeouts in 60 games.

He earned both Mountain West Championship MVP and All-Mountain West Conference First Team honors for his play in 2025. He also earned Mountain West Championship MVP honors in 2023 and Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors in 2023.

Gray competed at the 2025 MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and his play led Fresno State to the College World Series in both 2024 and 2025.

He stands 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and will turn 22 years old on Dec. 20.

MLB Pipeline ranks him as the 141st player in the 2025 draft class, while Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has him at 133rd overall.

Competitive Balance picks came into existence after the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement and then the 2017-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement amended the process for awarding these picks.

The 10 lowest revenue earning clubs from the 10 smallest markets have eligibility for a Competitive Balance pick, with each team earning a pick in either Competitive Balance Round A or Competitive Balance Round B.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has taken a few players in the Competitive Balance rounds during his tenure.

This includes three right-handed pitchers in Competitive Balance Round A in Carmen Mlodzinski out of South Carolina with the 31st pick in 2020, Thomas Harrington out of Campbell with the 36th pick in 2022 and Levi Sterling out of Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles at No. 37 overall in 2024.

It also features two players in Competitive Balance Round B, including outfielder Lonnie White Jr. from Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pa. at the 64th pick in 2021, right-handed pitcher Zander Meuth out of Belleville East High School in Belleville, Ill. with the 67th pick in 2023.

The Pirates have made three picks so far in the 2025 MLB Draft, including two right-handed pitchers in Seth Hernandez out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif. with the sixth overall pick in the first round and then Angel Cervantes out of Warren High School in Downey, Calif.