The Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system is nearing the finish line, and a few hitters are making sure their 2026 seasons end on a high note.
With Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro down to their final series, Double-A Altoona with two more series left and Triple-A Indianapolis with three remaining, the clock is running out for prospects to leave a lasting impression. That matters now more than ever, because these last games can shape how the front office views them heading into 2027.
At the top of the list is Greensboro first baseman/designated hitter Tony Blanco Jr., the Pirates’ best power prospect. Blanco was outstanding in August and has been one of the South Atlantic League’s most dangerous bats over the last few months. It’s especially notable because his season could have gone sideways after he missed a month on the injured list from June 21-July 24.
Blanco’s injury history has already slowed him before, limiting him to a season-high of 40 games in 2023. This year, though, he has played 80 games, which is double that total.
There’s plenty to like in his profile, from the loud exit velocities and long drives he produced at Bradenton to the damage he did in the Arizona Fall League, where he won the Home Run Derby. If he stays healthy, Blanco looks lined up to handle Altoona in 2027, even with Peoples Natural Gas Field playing tough on hitters.
Another prospect who forced his way into the conversation is third baseman Murf Gray. Getting from Greensboro to Altoona is no easy jump for any Pirates prospect, and Gray had to work through it after earning his promotion on July 17. On Aug. 14, he was hitting just .183, but he closed August with a .313/.390/.625 line and a 1.015 OPS in 13 games.
That surge came with production across the board: three doubles, four homers, 12 RBI and seven walks against 12 strikeouts, including three of those home runs in his last seven games. Gray has been one of the bright spots in a first full pro season that has already been impressive.
The Pirates selected him 73rd overall out of Fresno State in the 2025 MLB Draft, and across three levels and 116 games he’s hit .303/.401/.573 with a .974 OPS, 31 home runs, 24 doubles, 131 hits, 92 RBI and 61 walks to 108 strikeouts. He leads all Pirates minor leaguers in home runs, OPS and slugging percentage, and ranks second in hits and RBI.
For Gray, finishing strong does more than pad the numbers. It gives him a chance to show he’s ready for next season and maybe even a look with the Pirates.
Edward Florentino came into 2026 with plenty of buzz, and for good reason after his breakout 2025. The Pirates’ top position player prospect, ranked 35th overall by MLB Pipeline and 40th by Baseball America, had his start delayed by an ankle injury that kept him out of Spring Training early and pushed his Greensboro debut to May.
The first stretch was uneven, especially in June, but Florentino found his rhythm in July and carried it into August. Over those two months, he hit 15 homers, 11 doubles and drove in 42 runs, while drawing 29 walks against 51 strikeouts. That stretch produced a .246/.364/.589 line and a .952 OPS, and it’s the kind of late power surge that matters for a player who will have to adjust to Peoples Natural Gas Field next season alongside Blanco.
Bradenton third baseman Brent Iredale also turned a rough beginning into something much better. The Pirates drafted him in the seventh round out of Arkansas in 2025, and his first 10 games at Single-A were brutal: no hits in 44 plate appearances and 33 at-bats. Then came a 7-day injured list stint on April 20, a successful rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League and a return that changed the look of his season.
Since coming back on June 11, Iredale has hit .282/.418/.559 with a .978 OPS in 54 games. He’s collected 50 hits, 11 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 35 RBI and 36 walks against 63 strikeouts. He also posted a plus-1.000 OPS in both June and August, and his current run is right in line with what he did in his last season at Arkansas in 2025, when he hit .286/.450/.544 for a .994 OPS.
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Pirates Catching Depth Move Could Hint At Something Bigger
The Pirates added another name to their catching mix this week, signing Jose Herrera to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Herrera had spent time in the Texas Rangers organization and also played in the Mexican League after his release, but his best-known work has come in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks. For Pittsburgh, it is the kind of depth move teams make when they want another experienced hand close to the big league picture.
Herrera is expected to help stabilize the catching inventory in the Pirates minor league system, giving the organization some insurance behind the plate. Moves like this do not usually draw much attention on their own, but they can say plenty about how a club wants to protect itself over a long season, especially at a position where bodies can disappear quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Tough Decision On A Forgotten Top Pick
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For Pittsburgh, the question now is less about whether White has re-entered the conversation and more about how to handle the next roster crunch. Adding him to the 40-man roster would be a way to keep him out of Rule 5 Draft risk, even if he is not yet ready for a big-league call-up. It is the sort of decision teams prefer to make before the deadline pressures pile up, and it gives the Pirates a small but meaningful test of how much they still believe in a player whose stock looked far more uncertain not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
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Wilber Dotel also got the call back up as part of the same round of roster shuffling, while Evan Sisk was optioned to Indianapolis. The timing is less than ideal for a Pirates team trying to keep its late-game options intact, and Yates injury leaves the staff waiting to see how deep the bullpen hole becomes before the next stretch of games really settles in. [Read more 🡒]