PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have recently seen some great talents emerge from their farm system, and two more names should join the list.

The Pirates named their top two minor league award winners: right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez for the Bob Friend Pitcher of the Year and third baseman Murf Gray for the Honus Wagner Player of the Year.

Both Hernandez and Gray took big strides in 2026 and showed they are among the top future talents, not just in the Pirates organization, but in baseball too.

Pirates fans can only wait until the duo finally make it to the major leagues and start making their impact for the big league club.

Seth Hernandez Will Be Next Pirates Ace

The Pirates have a strong and young starting rotation from which they've built through the draft over the last few years.

Paul Skenes (first overall, 2023), Braxton Aschraft (second round, 2018), Jared Jones (second round, 2020) and Bubba Chandler (third round, 2021) have all come and made their MLB debuts over the past three seasons and will make for one of the toughest rotations in baseball.

Hernandez should join this group in the future, most likely in 2028, but there was no doubt he could dominate as a professional.

The Pirates made Hernandez the sixth overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif., and he showed them quickly that they made the right decision.

Hernandez was excellent for Single-A Bradenton, putting together a 3-0 record in six starts, a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings, 50 strikeouts to seven walks, a .135 BAA and 0.71 WHIP.

There was no more dominant pitcher in the Florida State League, and the Pirates soon moved Hernandez up to High-A Greensboro on May 14.

Hernandez wasn't as effective at Greensboro, facing better hitters and pitching in an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark at First National Bank Field.

The 20-year-old still put up solid numbers: a 3-1 record in 12 starts, a 3.33 ERA over 46 innings pitched, 68 strikeouts to 24 walks, a .209 BAA and a 1.26 WHIP.

Hernandez did suffer a setback with a left oblique strain that ended his season in late July, but it isn't a major injury, and he will be ready to attack 2027 with the same vigor he had in 2026.

The most encouraging signs for Hernandez are with his pitch mix and his improvement with it over the year.

He throws close to a 100 mph fastball, and pairs that with fantastic offspeed selections in his "parachute" changeup, his 90 mph+ slider and a curveball at times, too.

The mastery of his offspeed pitches makes him far more advanced than almost every other pitcher at his age, and it bodes well for 2027 and beyond.

Hernandez, being one of the best strikeout pitchers in the minor leagues, is also crucial, with his 118 strikeouts before his injury being the second-most.

There will be bigger challenges for Hernandez in 2027, especially when he makes it to Double-A, but as long as he stays healthy, he should keep rising and ascending towards a spot in the Pirates' rotation by 2028.

Murf Gray Could Solve Pirates' Long-Term Third Base Issues

The Pirates thought that Ke'Bryan Hayes would be the third baseman for the future with his Gold Glove defense and his solid hitting.

Hayes' injuries led to a steady decline at the plate, and the Pirates soon moved on, trading him to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2025 deadline.

The Pirates haven't found a long-term replacement at third base, but Gray should eventually assume that role once he's ready for the major leagues.

Gray was sensational for the Pirates in 2026, working up three levels from Single-A to finish at Double-A in the final two months of the season.

He showed off his power and hit tool, which easily made him the best Pirates' minor league hitter and a top 100 prospect.

Gray hit .305/.402/.567 for an OPS of .969 in 126 games, with 143 hits, 27 doubles, 32 home runs and 97 RBI in 2026, leading all Pirates minor leaguers in hits, home runs, RBI, extra-base hits (59) and total bases (266).

His power is what would make him a fantastic third base option in the future for the Pirates, hitting nine home runs each at Single-A and Double-A Altoona, plus 15 home runs at High-A.

Gray achieving what he did in his first professional season, after the Pirates took him 73rd overall out of Fresno State, is incredibly impressive, and the growth he showed throughout 2026 bodes well for next season.

Making the Pirates roster at some point in 2027 isn't completely unlikely and if Gray can show that same power and success at the plate with Triple-A Indianapolis, he will give the Pirates a tough decision to make.