The Pittsburgh Pirates may have found a diamond in the rough with Murf Gray, who very well could be the third baseman of the future for the Buccos.
Gray was drafted 73rd overall just a year ago out of Fresno State and has quickly shot up through the Minor League ranks. In his first season of professional baseball, the 22-year-old third baseman has been outstanding at the plate. On the season Gray has a slash line of .302/.403/.966 with 28 home runs; oh, and by the way, he’s already made it to Double-A Altoona!
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While he’s not an elite defender at the hot corner, Gray has only committed seven errors to this point in the year. Longterm might not be at third, although it is where he’s played exclusively in college and in the Minor Leagues. His arm strength is a plus at the position, but his height, weight and lack of quickness might make him a better first baseman down the line.
Gray’s true strength is his bat. In low and High-A, he was able to chase against lower level pitching, but has since adjusted his approach at the plate since his promotion to Altoona.
“(Pirates hitting coaches) said, ‘How can we clean up your swing and be efficient for 130 games? With that came the power,” Gray said. “You become more patient. You take more walks. You get more pitches you can hit. You start realizing where your power zones are, so when you get that pitch, you don’t miss.”
With The Curve, Gray is still adjusting to higher level pitching talent.
“Low-A guys had really good stuff,” Gray said. “In High-A, they can maybe control their stuff a little more. Once you get to Double-A, it’s like everyone is here for a reason. They can control every pitch they have, and they’re looking to get you out on their best stuff. You have to know what you can hit so that you can stay away from their best stuff.”
On August 20th Gray had his fifth Double-A home run after going 2-4 with three RBIs against Binghamton. His production has plateaued slightly after some struggles at the plate with The Curve, but Gray is still projected to make his major league debut some time in 2027.
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Murf Gray is the Pirates’ fourth highest rated prospect and is the 94th highest rated prospect in baseball.
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