Weekend Dynasty Baseball Pickups - May 25/26

Hello and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups written series!

I am back from Nashville and that means a return to our normal schedule. Huge shoutout to Raj for being flexible and swapping articles with me last week, and to both him and Taylor for filling in for me on the podcast last weekend. I had a great time, and even got to see a few dingers at the Nashville Sounds game on Saturday, including one from one of my favorite prospects Cooper Pratt, but I am happy to be home and back to my normal routine. That includes getting back into my routine of writing an article and recording a podcast on the weekend, so let's get into it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22 - every player in this article is currently 22 years old, currently playing in High-A, and was drafted just last year. That includes a trio of hitters, one of which I believe should be making a big jump up the rankings, and a pair of pitchers who operate with very different stuff but have both impressed to start the year. Now let us get into the names you need to know this week.

Dynasty Baseball Pickups - Prospects LiveRaj Mehta and Kyle SonntagProspects LiveRaj Mehta

Note: all stats current through Friday May 22/26 and all minor league Statcast data is sourced from TJ Stats unless otherwise stated.

Weekend Pickups

Murf Gray - 22/3B/PIT/A+

Photo Credit: mlb.com

Height/Weight: 6’3”/230

Bats/Throws: R/R

Fantrax Roster%: 8%

PLive+: 113

PLive Prospect Ranking (May ‘26): 471

PLive Tools (2026): Hit: 45, Power: 50, Run: 40, Field: 40, Arm: 55

2025 Stats (NCAA): 279 PA, .324/.398/.639, 18 HR/1 SB, 10.8% K%/8.2% BB%, 133 wRC+

2026 Stats (A/A+): 183 PA, .363/.440/.643, 11 HR/0 SB, 18.6% K%/9.3% BB%, 180 wRC+

Why To Pick Up

In his pre-season dynasty report on Gray, Lucas Morel called him a potential sleeper pick and he could not have been more right about that. The power has been as advertised for the 104th ranked player in our 2025-26 FYPD rankings, but what has been the biggest surprise in his game is the impressive contact ability he has displayed. During his time in Single-A (38 games) Gray made contact on 80.5% of his swings overall (according to Fangraphs) and as seen in the chart below from TJStats, his 87.8% zone-contact rate ranked in the 86th percentile at the level. The performance has not dipped in High-A either, as his overall contact rate remains a strong 80% (88.5% in-zone) and he has hit three home runs through his first four games at the level, including a two-homer showing on Friday.

Combining that quantity of contact with highly impressive quality of contact has resulted in a .280 ISO for Gray, with 22 of his 57 hits (39%) going for extra bases. To put the power in a broader context, his 114.3 mph max EV in Single-A would tie him for 26th in the MLB right now (per Baseball Savant), just ahead of Juan Soto (114.2 mph) and Munetaka Murakami (114.1 mph).

To my untrained eye, Gray's swing looks really good too. He deploys a moderate leg kick, and from what I can tell he does a really good job keeping his head still through his load until he explodes through the ball. That lack of pre-swing head movement is no surprise given his impressive contact skills, but is a rare ability for a player with the kind of power Gray possesses.

Why To Think Twice

Although he has looked better in his small High-A sample so far (21.1% chase%), Gray displayed a fairly aggressive approach in Single-A, and the same could be assumed of his time in college based on his sub-10% walk rate. The approach will be worth tracking because, even with strong contact rates, Gray could see his quality of contact dip in the higher levels if he remains an aggressive swinger against more advanced pitchers. As a third baseman with a fringy glove, there will be pressure on Gray’s bat to continue performing, especially if he has to move down the defensive spectrum at all.

Final Thoughts

On top of being correct about Gray as a sleeper pick, Lucas Morel also aptly noted that he could move quickly through the Pirates system. He earned a fast promotion to High-A after starting the year red hot in Single-A, and if he can continue to punish the baseball he could end the year in Double-A. Given the impressive blend of power and hit tools, I recommend grabbing some shares in medium to shallow depth leagues and being moderately aggressive with any FAAB bids you place. To give a specific example, I placed a bid of $200 in a league with more than 400 prospects rostered and a $1000 budget after he was dropped earlier this week and I still managed to lose as someone else outbid me at $269.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 200+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Aggressive (10%+)

Sign up for Prospects Live

Your one stop shop for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball, MLB Draft, Baseball Card & MiLB Baseball content. Blending Data & Scouting into our Player Evaluation

Subscribe

Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

This post is for subscribers only

Become a member to get access to all content

Subscribe now