Pirates Minor League Report: Murf Gray Didn’t Miss a Beat After Promotion
Murf Gray has been one of the top performers among Pittsburgh Pirates position player prospects this season.
The 22-year-old began the season with Low-A Bradenton, where he slashed .359/.436/.606 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 34 RBI across 38 games. Gray’s stellar performance led the Pirates to bump him up to High-A Greensboro this week, and he’s picked up right where he left off in Bradenton.
Gray is batting .400 (8 for 20) with three home runs and six RBI (has at least one RBI in all five games) since his promotion to the Grasshoppers.
Here are some other recent performances and trends worth nothing in the organization.
Triple-A Indianapolis
Outfielder Ronny Simon has performed at a very high level all season and that continued by going 5 for 16 over his last four games. The 26-year-old ranks sixth in the International League with a .327 batting average and is fourth with 55 hits.
Right-hander Beau Burrows continues to push for a spot in the struggling Pirates bullpen. Burrows totaled 3.1-scoreless innings across a pair of relief appearances this week and now has a 1.38 ERA and a 0.46 WHIP over his last nine appearances.
Double-A Altoona
Outfielder Lonnie White Jr. has been one of the biggest surprises in Pittsburgh’s organization this year. The 23-year-old got off to a sizzling start with Greensboro before he was bumped to Altoona a few weeks ago. Since joining the Curve, White is slashing .284/.377/.537 with five doubles, four home runs 10 RBI and five steals.
Fellow outfielder Will Taylor has reached base safely in 10 straight games and has a .452 on-base percentage during that stretch.
High-A Greensboro
First baseman Jared Jones extended his on-base streak to a whopping 28 games, which is the second-longest active streak in the South Atlantic League. During that stretch, he’s batting .359 (37 for 103) with a 1.051 OPS, five doubles, six home runs and 21 RBI.
Catcher Axiel Plaz has belted four home runs during his nine-game on-base streak. During that time, he’s hitting .382 (13 for 34) with three doubles and six RBI.
Top prospect Seth Hernandez had the first bad start of his career. The 19-year-old allowed three runs (all on solo home runs) and walked four in 2.2 innings against Winston-Salem on Friday. Hernandez still ranks seventh among full-season minor leaguers in ERA (1.51), second in batting average against (.133) and fourth in strikeouts (62).
Low-A Bradenton
Right-hander Levi Sterling was technically credited with a no-hitter after five no-hit innings against Lakeland in a 3-1 win on Sunday. The game was called due to rain after five innings. Sterling allowed one unearned run, walked four and struck out five.
Yonleg Gaetano tossed six no-hit innings against Lakeland on Friday. In five starts with Bradenton this season, the 20-year-old right-hander has a 1.93 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP.
Right-hander Jack Anker, who won the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week last week, tossed six-shutout innings on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts in his lone start this week. Over his last four appearances (three starts), the 22-year-old is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA.
Right-hander Kyle Robinson, acquired from the Athletics for infielder Alika Williams, made his organizational debut in the start on Saturday and allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings.
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“Technically awarded a no-hitter” ? What a backward compliment. It was a complete game with no hits, That’s called throwing a no-hitter. Nothing “technical” or “awarded” about it. Say it with me one time, a “No No.”