Five Best Pirates Prospect Performers for April
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