Murf Gray keeps giving the Pirates every reason to believe they found something special.
The 22-year-old third baseman added another loud marker to his breakout season with his 30th home run of the year for Double-A Altoona against Erie, the Detroit Tigers’ affiliate. Gray went low in the zone, got a breaking ball, and hammered it more than 400 feet to left-center.
It was his seventh homer since arriving in Altoona and his third in the last seven games, the kind of stretch that tells you this isn’t just raw power showing up in flashes. Gray is beginning to make that power play against better pitching, which matters even more with Triple-A and its heavier dose of breaking balls waiting next season.
That milestone also put him in a small class inside the Pirates’ system. According to Tim Crowley of MLB.com, Gray became just the second Pirates minor leaguer since 2014 to reach 30 home runs in a season, joining Mason Martin, who hit 35 in 2019. The Pirates are hoping Gray’s path turns out very differently from Martin’s, who last played in the minors in 2024.
Gray has now launched 30 homers across three levels this season, with eight in 38 games at Single-A Bradenton and 15 in 43 games at High-A Greensboro before the power started to really show up at Altoona. That climb hasn’t been perfectly smooth. When he first reached Double-A, the pitching gave him trouble, and his average dipped to .133 on August 14 as he adjusted to sharper command and more advanced sequences.
Since then, the production has come back around. After the homer against Erie, Gray’s Altoona average sat at .222, and he’s still carrying a .390 on-base percentage for the Curve. The bat-to-ball results are improving, but the on-base skill has stayed intact.
Across the full season, Gray is one of only 14 minor leaguers to reach 30 home runs and is hitting .301 across three levels in the Pirates’ system. His overall line sits at .301/.402/.569 with 30 homers, 23 doubles and 89 RBIs.
The Pirates grabbed Gray with the 73rd pick in Competitive Balance Round B of the 2025 draft out of Fresno State, where he earned Mountain West Conference First Team honors and helped his school reach the College World Series in both 2024 and 2025. Concerns about his chase rate were part of the pre-draft conversation, but he has answered with production at every stop.
His rise through the system has been fast. He opened the 2026 season with Low-A Bradenton and hit .359 before moving up to High-A Greensboro in May. He kept rolling there, won South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors in June, and then earned his way to Altoona shortly after the All-Star break.
MLB.com recently placed him at No. 94 on its top 100 prospects list, a reflection of how much momentum he’s built. Gray has also reached base safely in every game he’s played for Altoona, a streak that now stands at 17 games, and his on-base percentage with the Curve is .405.
With the season winding down, Gray’s development has become one of the more interesting things for Pirates fans to track. The power is real, the on-base ability is holding up, and the organization has a hitter who is forcing his way into the conversation for a major league debut as early as next season.
In Other News...
Pirates Have Two September Roster Calls That Suddenly Matter More
September is about to give the Pirates a little more room to maneuver, and two roster spots suddenly carry more weight than they usually would this time of year. When active rosters expand from 26 to 28, clubs can add an extra pitcher, and for Pittsburgh that opens the door for a couple of young names that fit immediate needs as much as long-term plans.
Khristian Curtis has already logged two major-league appearances this season, and his return would give the Pirates another arm to lean on once he becomes eligible after being optioned in late August. Jack Brannigan also makes sense as a September add, especially with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin working back from injury, since Brannigan can help stabilize the infield defensively while the roster waits for Griffin to return. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Catcher Problem They Can't Ignore
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For a club that wants stability at a premium position, the uncertainty is hard to miss as the 2027 picture comes into view. Pittsburgh has pieces in the mix, but none of the three catchers currently provides a clean answer on his own, which leaves the front office staring at a position that could shape more than just the battery. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Bullpen Gets An Interesting Lefty Twist Before Cardinals Series
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The appeal is pretty straightforward: Sisk brings another lefty option, and the Pirates are hoping that versatility helps them manage matchups in the late innings. He had been effective before an injury interrupted his run with the team, which is why this promotion feels less like a shuffle and more like a chance to reinsert a familiar arm into a bullpen that could use the extra flexibility. The real test now is how quickly he fits back into the mix against a Cardinals lineup that will force Pittsburgh to make plenty of those decisions. [Read more 🡒]