The preseason NL favorite for Rookie of the Year has brought hope to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization ever since Ke’Bryan Hayes was called up in late 2020.
Hayes is a savvy right-handed hitter and the son of the 13-year major league third baseman Charlie Hayes. Obviously, the baseball genes were passed down to the younger Hayes after watching his father play the game.
The 24-year-old Hayes was selected in the first round of the 2015 Major League First Year Player Draft out of Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas, the second of two Pittsburgh Pirate first-rounders that year.
Through his 27 games this season, Hayes has put together 8 extra-base hits, 15 RBI, and 16 runs while slashing .284/.370/.455.
Including his 5 homers and 11 RBIs from 24 games last season, he is at a 162 game pace that would equate to 25 home runs, 105 runs, and 83 RBIs.
While the 51 games that those stats are based on are not a large sample size, if he is able to produce those numbers on a year-to-year basis for the Pirates, he could be the difference-maker they so desperately need.
What has stood out at the plate is his work to be selective and disciplined. He has been able to work pitchers deep into the pitch count but has shown that he struggles with breaking balls and chases when he gets deep in those counts.
The reason he is able to work deep in counts is his lack of intimidation when he gets down in the count.
He has shown great timing on fastballs, and once he can improve his swings on breaking balls and pitchers’ secondary arsenal, he could be a great experienced batter.
Along with his ability to work the count, his power has shown great improvements, especially into the gaps, leading to extra-base hits. His speed and ability to run the bases have been an asset to the Pirates lineup when called on.
While those batting numbers and tools sound great, his glove and fieldwork maybe even better.
Hayes is best known for his stellar defense at third base, which has led some scouts to feel Hayes is a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman. With his excellent agility and reaction time, he could be a force on defense for years to come.
His arm strength and range are also way above average.
The preseason NL favorite for Rookie of the Year has brought hope to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization ever since Ke’Bryan Hayes was called up in late 2020.Overall Take
Hayes is one of the best young third baseman’s on his way up the Major Leagues. Yet, the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the most abysmal teams in the league.
If Ke’Bryan Hayes can continue his great work on both sides of the game, he could be an impact player for the Pirates and a huge influence in their chances of getting out of this bad spell that they have had in their last few seasons.
The large improvement Hayes’ has shown on the offensive end this past season was huge. They were great enough to show that he could be game-changing with his confidence and discipline on offense and his all-around skill set on defense.
He has been an impact hitter these past two seasons, and it is possible that if he continues or even improves, he could be a threat for both gold gloves and batting accolades. While there are a lot of other good candidates, he could be among those considered to be the National League Rookie of the Year in 2021.
Hayes is the Pirates’ top prospect and their young dynamo. He will be the future of their franchise.
