Pirates Minor League Awards: Gray Top Player, Hernandez Top Pitcher

October 22, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

The Pirates spent the week announcing their 2026 minor-league award winners. Murf Gray was named the Honus Wagner Player of the Year and Seth Hernandez was named the Bob Friend Pitcher of the Year.

Gray, who also won the Wille Stargell Slugger of the Year, skyrocketed up the system in his first professional season. The 22-year-old began the season with Low-A Bradenton and ended the year in Double-A Altoona. He combined to slash .305/.402/.567 with 27 doubles, 32 home runs and 97 RBI across three levels.

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Gray, who was drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2025, led Pittsburgh’s minor league players in hits (143), home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, runs (100), extra-base hits (59) and total bases (266).

Hernandez split the year between Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. The ’25 first-round draft pick combined to go 6-1 with a 2.43 ERA in 18 starts. He logged 74 innings, walked 31, struck out 118 and held opponents to a .181 batting average.

Hernandez, 20, was placed on the injured list with a season-ending oblique strain on July 25. At the time he landed on the IL, the right-hander was second among all minor-league pitchers in strikeouts.

Both Gray (89) and Hernandez (nine) are considered top 100 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Gray is considered the third-best third base prospect. Hernandez is ranked as the top right-hander pitcher.

Other Pirates Minor-League Awards

Jesus Castillo was named the Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year. Castillo played every position other than pitcher and catcher in 2026 and committed just nine errors in 288 chances.

Yordany De Los Santos won the Omar Moreno Baserunner of the Year after leading the organization with 45 stolen bases in 92 games split between Bradenton and Greensboro.

Right-hander Derek Diamond was named the Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year. Diamond went 7-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a pair of saves in 37 appearances, 29 of which were with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Johan De Los Santos was named the Pirates’ rookie level player of the year. The 18-year-old combined to slash .310/.431/.434 with four triples, two home runs, 10 RBI and 26 steals in 31 FCL games before a promotion to Bradenton.

Irwin Ramirez was tabbed as the Pirates’ top rookie level pitcher. The right-hander went 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in eight starts in the Florida Complex League before a promotion to Bradenton. He held opponents to a .157 batting average.

The Pirates named Cecilio Beltre as the organization’s staff member of the year. He was a team development coach/mentor for the Dominican Summer League Pirates Gold team.

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