Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Fresno State has not had a player taken in the top three rounds since right-hander Ryan Jensen was a first-rounder in 2019. A hitter hasn’t gone that early since Taylor Ward in the first round back in 2015, and of course, its greatest player -- the 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge -- went in 2013. Gray doesn't have Judge's profile, but he was the 2023 Mountain West Conference freshman of the year. He then hit 10 homers with a .504 slugging percentage as a sophomore before opening eyes with one of the best offensive performances (.329/.367/.500) in the Cape Cod League last summer, though he hasn’t carried that over to consistent production in 2025.

While Gray isn’t as big of a prospect as Judge in any measurement, as a 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter, he’s not that far off size-wise. Gray can put his extra-large frame to good use, showing big raw power to all fields, though his over-the-fence pop has come mostly to his pull side. He’s going to need some swing modifications at the next level and while he doesn’t swing and miss too much, he does need to cut down on his tendency to chase and make better overall swing decisions.

Gray has plenty of arm for third base, but a lack of foot speed with a fair first step at best might make it tough for him to stick at the hot corner. A team interested in his bat's power potential could send him out there or see whether he's athletic enough to man an outfield corner to make good use of that arm, but he could end up at first base down the road.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

A starter pretty much out of the gate at Fresno State, Gray had solid freshman and sophomore seasons, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors in 2023, but something really clicked in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2024, when he hit .329 and got an All-Star nod. When he got hot as conference play started in his junior season, he finished the year with an OPS of 1.037 and landed in Competitive Balance Round B with the Pirates, making him the first Bulldogs hitter to go in the top three rounds since Taylor Ward was taken in the first round in 2015.

A big, 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter, Gray is all about impact and contact. He swings a lot, and chases too much (32 percent chase rate in 2025), but he doesn’t miss very often (19 percent miss rate last year). He has a ton of raw power to all fields, typically finding the seats to his pull side. He’ll need to work on some swing modifications and on his swing decisions, as professional pitchers are sure to take advantage of his desire to offer at just about anything near the plate.

Where Gray’s bat will fit into a lineup remains to be seen. He has the arm to play third, where he played exclusively in college, but a lack of speed or first-step quickness may push him across the diamond to first base. He’s been working to get his body to be more explosive to give him a shot at the hot corner, but it’s going to be his bat that carries him up the ladder.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Fresno State had not had a player taken in the top three rounds since right-hander Ryan Jensen was a first-rounder in 2019 until Gray broke that schneid. When the Pirates used their Competitive Balance Round B pick on him, he became the earliest-drafted hitter for the program since Taylor Ward went in the first round back in 2015, and of course, its greatest player -- the 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge -- went in '13. Gray doesn't have Judge's profile, but he was the 2023 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, had a solid sophomore season in '24, then followed it up with a loud Cape Cod League performance (.329/.367/.500). He started slowly during his junior year, but put up a 1.210 OPS in conference play.

While Gray isn’t as big of a prospect as Judge in any measurement, as a 6-foot-4 right-handed hitter, he’s not that far off size-wise. Gray can put his extra-large frame to good use, showing big raw power to all fields, though his over-the-fence pop has come mostly to his pull side. He’s going to need some swing modifications at the next level, and while he doesn’t swing and miss too much, he does need to cut down on his tendency to chase and make better overall swing decisions.

Gray has plenty of arm for third base, but a lack of foot speed with a fair first step at best might make it tough for him to stick at the hot corner. The Pirates could certainly send him out there or see whether he's athletic enough to man an outfield corner to make good use of that arm, but he could end up at first base down the road.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/06/2026	3B Murf Gray assigned to Pittsburgh Pirates.
	03/05/2026	3B Murf Gray assigned to Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects.
	08/06/2025	FCL Pirates activated 3B Murf Gray.
	08/03/2025	3B Murf Gray assigned to FCL Pirates.
	07/21/2025	Pittsburgh Pirates signed 3B Murf Gray.
	05/23/2025	3B Murf Gray assigned to College Workout.
	05/12/2025	3B Murf Gray assigned to Fresno State Bulldogs.
	07/26/2024	3B Triston Gray assigned to Cape Cod League West All-Stars.
	04/03/2024	3B Triston Gray assigned to Wareham Gatemen.
	02/10/2023	3B Triston Gray assigned to Fresno State Bulldogs.