Journey to the 412 - Blog

Murf Gray Promoted to Altoona

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:55:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

According to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting third baseman Murf Gray from the Greensboro Grasshoppers to the Altoona Curve.

After being a competitive balance round pick by the Pirates in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Fresno State, Gray started out his pro ball journey in Low A for the Bradenton Marauders. In 38 games with Bradenton, he slashed .359/.436/.606, along with eight home runs.

On May 18th, the Pirates moved Gray up to the High A level for Greensboro.

Gray played in 43 games as a Greensboro Grasshopper, where he continued to put up prolific numbers; slashing .302/.381/.610, while hitting 15 homers.

Combined with Bradenton and Greensboro, Gray leads all Pirates minor league players this season in home runs with 23.

Pirates to Call Up Antwone Kelly

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:41:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to call up RHP Antwone Kelly, this according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR.

Kelly was signed by Pittsburgh during the 2021 international signing period out of Aruba.

After posting a 3.02 ERA combined with High A Greensboro and AA Altoona last year, the Pirates chose to protect Kelly from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster this past offseason.

Kelly entered 2026 as MLB Pipeline’s seventh rated prospect in the Pirates’ organization.

It was a rough start to Kelly’s season, as he registered an ERA of 5.91. The numbers have been much better since; putting up a 3.00 ERA in May and June, while limiting opponents to a .228 batting average against.

The fastball is consistently upper-90’s, with the ability to hit triple-digits. His changeup is his best secondary offering (41.1% whiff rate), when he commands it, and the cutter also plays very well.

Kelly is expected to be in the bullpen. Once he makes his debut, Kelly will become the first pitcher from the country of Aruba to pitch for the Pirates.

Murf Gray Receives Promotion to Greensboro

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:52:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

According to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting third base prospect Murf Gray to High A Greensboro.

As a second round draft choice last year out of Fresno State, Gray signed with the Pirates for just under a million, at $997,500.

To begin his professional career this season, the Pirates sent Gray to Low A Bradenton, where his offensive production was outstanding. In April, Gray put up a batting line of .353/.434/.553. He’s been just as prolific in May; slashing .368/.439/.684.

While with the Marauders, Gray posted a 174 wRC+, and his eight home runs were tied for second most in the Florida State League.

Gray is currently the 17th ranked Pirates prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Seth Hernandez Listed as Top Pitching Prospect In Baseball

Thu, 14 May 2026 01:09:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

Less than a year after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates sixth overall, Seth Hernandez has rapidly arose up the prospects list.

Following Konnor Griffin’s graduation from prospect status on Wednesday, Hernandez is now atop the Pirates’ system. MLB Pipeline also updated their Top 100, with Hernandez leaping from 29 up to 3. The Top 2 are shortstop Jesús Made of the Brewers and shortstop Leo De Vries of the Athletics. This of course means Hernandez is now the top pitching prospect in all of minor league baseball.

The 19-year-old Hernandez made his pro debut this season with the Bradenton Marauders. Opposing batters in the Florida State League were completely gobsmacked by Hernandez, as he registered an ERA of 0.96, along with a 0.71 WHIP, and striking out 50 in 28 innings, for a ridiculous, 16.1 K/9.

Hernandez’s arsenal has been the talk of the 2026 MiLB season; possessing an upper-90’s four-seam fastball, a terrific cutter, an outstanding curveball, a sharp slider, and his bread & butter offering - a plus changeup. Combined with all five pitches, Hernandez has induced a 52.1% whiff rate.

On Monday, it was announced that the Pirates were promoting Hernandez to the High A level with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Five Best Pirates Prospect Performers for April

Fri, 01 May 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

As the calendar turns to May, here are the five best Pittsburgh Pirates prospect performers for the month of April.

Axiel Plaz: A year ago at this time, Axiel Plaz was a sleeper prospect in the Pirates’ system.

Signed by the organization in 2022, Plaz is beginning to emerge as a top-tier catching prospect. In 84 plate appearances with High A Greensboro, he’s hitting .360, third highest average in the South Atlantic League, while putting up an OPS of .971.

Lonnie White Jr: Drafted as a competitive balance pick in 2021, Lonnie White Jr. chose to sign with the Pirates rather than accept a scholarship to play football at Penn State.

White is off to a scorching start to the season, as he hit .298 and posted the sixth best OPS at 1.008 in the SAL with Greensboro. On Thursday, it was reported that White received a promotion to AA Altoona.

Murf Gray: Although Seth Hernandez got all the praise from the 2025 Pirates draft, and deservedly so, Pittsburgh made an intriguing selection with Murf Gray - a competitive balance pick out of Fresno State.

Gray was assigned to Low A Bradenton to begin his pro career. The Pirates 18th ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, has hit the ground running, as a member of the Marauders. Gray’s .353 average is tied atop the Florida State League, while his .987 OPS is currently third highest.

Seth Hernandez: The Pirates garnered a plethora of rave reviews, when they selected Seth Hernandez, with the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft.

Hernandez, who is now the top pitching arm in the Pirates’ organization, absolutely shoved in four April starts for the Bradenton Marauders, as he posted a dazzling, 0.53 ERA, along with a league leading 0.53 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts, which are tied for most.

FSL batters have had no answer for Hernandez’s arsenal that includes an upper-90’s fastball and sinker, an outstanding curveball, a good slider, and his best secondary offering - a plus changeup.

Wyatt Sanford: In the 2024 draft, the Pirates took Wyatt Sanford as a second round choice out of Independence High School, located in Frisco, Texas.

Sanford entered professional ball with a baseball pedigree, as his father, Chance Sanford, played briefly with the Pirates as a rookie in 1998.

The 20-year-old middle infielder is enjoying a terrific start to his 2026 season, with a slash line of .277/.400/.518 in 100 plate appearances for Greensboro. Sanford is beginning to tap into some more power, as he hit five home runs in April. The plus speed has also been on display; stealing nine bases in ten attempts.

Honorable mentions

Esmerlyn Valdez (Indianapolis): .255/.403/.439, 4 HR, 14 RBI

Easton Carmichael (Greensboro): .313/.368/.475, 3 HR, 14 RBI

Mitch Jebb Promoted to Indianapolis

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:14:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

Utility man Mitch Jebb is being promoted from the Altoona Curve to the Indianapolis Indians, this according to Jim Rosati of North Shore Nine.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Jebb as a second round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Michigan State.

Since joining the Pirates’ organization, Jebb is one of the fastest prospects in the system, with 70 grade speed.

Over the last two seasons, the speed has been on full display for Jebb. He’s stolen 76 bases in 89 tries, for a solid, 85.4% success rate.

Jebb has played in 14 games with Altoona to begin this season, posting a .339 OBP, while stealing four bases in five attempts.

The promotion of Jebb will try to help spark an Indianapolis Indians lineup that has really struggled offensively in April.

Pirates Call Up Wilber Dotel

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:41:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

p/c: Matt Freed - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up one of their top-tier pitching prospects, as Wilber Dotel is joining the big club. Right-hander Cam Sanders has been optioned back to AAA Indianapolis.

Dotel was signed by the Pirates in 2020 out of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Pitching for AA Altoona last season, Dotel posted a 4.15 ERA, while striking out 131 batters in 125.2 innings.

This past offseason, the Pirates added Dotel to the 40-man roster.

Currently the 12th ranked Pirates prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Dotel began the season with Indianapolis, where he had a 6.28 ERA in three starts.

The Pirates desperately need help in the bullpen, in regards to multiple inning arms. Perhaps Dotel can give them a boost.

Seth Hernandez Shines In Pro Debut for Bradenton

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:38:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

With a rain out on Thursday night, Seth Hernandez’s professional debut had to wait until Friday, but was certainly worth it.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ sixth overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft debuted for the Bradenton Marauders against the Dunedin Blue Jays - Toronto’s Low A ball affiliate.

After giving up a leadoff triple, on the very first professional pitch he threw in the bottom of the first, Hernandez allowed the run, but struck out three batters.

The final line for Hernandez was three innings of work, one earned run, no walks, and eight strikeouts.

Hernandez’s dominant stuff was on full display Friday evening, with a sinker at 97-99 mph, a four-seam fastball at 94-97, an 89-91 cutter, in which he got four of his eight Ks with, a plus curveball at 79-81, and a changeup at 84-86 mph. 30 of Hernandez’s 39 pitches were for strikes, including 18 swings and misses, for an excellent, whiff rate of 46.2%.

With the graduation of Bubba Chandler, Hernandez now finds himself as the top pitching arm in the Pirates’ organization.

Wilber Dotel to Start Grapefruit League Opener for Pirates

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:32:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

The Pittsburgh Pirates open up the Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida. Wilber Dotel will get the opportunity to start, and will likely pitch the first two innings.

Since signing with the Pirates in 2020, Dotel has seen a significant increase with his fastball velocity; going from low-90’s to upper-90’s. The slider is a plus offering, while he also incorporated a new splitter into his repertoire last year.

Dotel spent the 2025 season pitching for the Altoona Curve, where he posted a 4.15 ERA, along with a 3.89 FIP, and a 3.63 xFIP. In 125.2 innings, he fanned 131 batters, for a 9.4 K/9.

This offseason, the Pirates protected Dotel from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster.

Entering 2026, Dotel is ranked the ninth best Pirates prospect, according to Baseball America. There’s a good chance the 23-year-old righty begins the season at AAA Indianapolis.

Jhostynxon Garcia Looks to Provide Quality Bat to Pirates Outfield Depth

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:45:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

p/c: Christopher Horner

With his job on the line, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington knew he had to substantially improve an offense that was arguably MLB’s worst in 2025.

The first significant move came on December 4th, when the Pirates traded right-hander Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox, as part of a five-player deal that was headlined by outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.

The trade was simply a case of dealing from surplus, with the Red Sox having a loaded outfield, and the Pirates’ plethora of starting pitching.

At the time of the trade, Garcia was MLB Pipeline’s 85th ranked prospect, and the sixth best prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Nicknamed “The Password”, due to the difficulty spelling of his first name, Garcia combined to slash .267/.340/.470, while hitting 21 home runs between AA Portland and AAA Worcester last season. He represented Boston in the MLB Futures Game, and received a cup of coffee with the Red Sox; appearing in five games.

Garcia possess raw power at the plate, along with impressive, exit velocity numbers. Because of his aggressive approach, the strikeout figure increased for Garcia; going from 21.0% in Portland up to 29.1% in Worcester.

Defensively, Garcia has played mostly center field, where his range is considered average. He does have a plus arm, however, which could make him a right fielder long-term.

Since trading for Garcia, the Pirates have a more crowded outfield. They acquired switch-hitter Jake Mangum from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Brandon Lowe deal. Ryan O’Hearn, who was projected to be the team’s primary designated hitter, will see time in a corner outfield - now with the addition of Marcell Ozuna.

Barring injury, Garcia should begin the year with the Indianapolis Indians. It’s a good problem to have, as Garcia is only going to be 23 for all of 2026. This will allow the Pirates to be patient with Garcia, to where he can continue to develop with the bat, and more importantly, cut down on the strikeouts, before he’s ultimately ready to contribute at the big league level.