Pirates A to Z: Hot start has Ke'Bryan Hayes looking poised for stardom at third base

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Trevor Williams.

Ke’Bryan Hayes

Position: Third baseman

Bats/Throws: Right/right

Age: 23

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 205 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: Batted .376/.442/.682 with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs and 11 RBIs in 24 games.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Drafted by the Pirates in the first round in 2015.

This past season: The hype around Hayes only increased after another strong spring training, as did the frustration over the delay of his major-league debut when the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The future couldn’t get there fast enough for Hayes.

When Hayes tested positive for covid-19 upon arriving at PNC Park in July, it was another setback to his season. After missing all of summer camp, he was sent to the alternate training site in Altoona.

When the Pirates finally called up Hayes on Sept. 1, he proved to be worth the wait. His debut was a smashing success, as Hayes went 2 for 5 with a double and a home run and scored the game-tying run in extra innings in an 8-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 1 at PNC Park.

Ke'Bryan Hayes smiling around the bases after his first career home run is a game-tying bomb is something you just love to seepic.twitter.com/WbCu7IpYWG

— Starting 9 (@Starting9) September 2, 2020

“Hitting a home run, you see a lot of guys they do it in their debut,” Hayes said. “Since Day 1, whenever I came to Pittsburgh, whenever I got signed, I’ve always dreamed about hitting a home run there.”

What stood out, however, was how Hayes looked the part. He played impeccable defense at third base, hit the ball hard and sped around the bases. And he showed natural instincts by scoring on a contact read off an Anthony Alford bouncer to the pitcher. Hayes’ arrival provided a breath of fresh air for the Pirates amid an awful season.

What a play by Ke'Bryan Hayes ?#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/AgXtvMTekk

— Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2020

“This kid’s a good player. We saw it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “The one thing we have to realize is there’s going to be ups and downs, because he is a young player. He had a hell of a debut, but he’s going to be a good player and he does like playing underneath the lights. Being in the big leagues didn’t faze him at all.”

The Pirates are still waiting for Hayes to come back to earth. He put up video game numbers through his first 24 games, going 5 for 5 with three doubles, and three runs scored at Cleveland in the penultimate game of the season to record eight consecutive hits over the final weekend.

Ke'Bryan Hayes went 5-for-5 last night.

The kid can hit. pic.twitter.com/zy7FvvN33s

— Pirates (@Pirates) September 27, 2020

By then, the Pirates were in pinch-me mode. Hayes was even better than advertised — and, as the son of 14-year MLB veteran Charlie Hayes, he was heavily hyped — but Shelton was careful not to place too much pressure on the budding star as the savior to the floundering franchise.

“I think we just make sure that we talk to him about the things that he’s doing and how he’s doing it and realize he’s another player on our team,” Shelton said. “He’s somebody that was highly touted to come up, but I think we have to make sure that we don’t put expectations on him. We don’t have to look at him like he’s the guy who’s going to take us to the promised land. There’s going to be a lot of people that are going to help us move forward, and he’s going to be one of them.”

Hayes earned NL rookie of the month honors for his standout September and was thrust into the rookie of the year conversation. Despite playing less than half the season, he finished sixth, earning one second-place vote and two third-place votes. He remains eligible to win the award in 2021.

Hayes was the one player who gave the Pirates a glimmer of hope for the 2021 season. As Shelton said, “I think there’s a lot of people that want to watch Ke’Bryan Hayes play 162.”

The future: No one wants to see Hayes play a full season more than the rookie third baseman himself. Hayes took his hot start in stride, believing that it was a result of his years of preparation.

“The work that you put in, whenever you have success with it, it doesn’t so much surprise you,” Ke’Bryan Hayes said. “Whenever we go up there, we expect to do really well. The success that I had I’ve been really grateful for.”

How does Hayes stack up against some of the most recent Pirates rookies with fast starts through their first 24 major-league games, such as Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Austin Meadows and Bryan Reynolds?

Hayes had more hits (32) and a better batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS than all of the above. Only Reynolds had as many doubles and Meadows as many homers. Only McCutchen (18) and Polanco (13) had more RBIs.

None of the comparisons seemed to faze Young Hayes, as his father called him while celebrating each milestone on social media.

“I don’t think it puts any pressure on me,” Hayes said. “I just use it as motivation. The success I’ve had makes me hungrier to get back home after the season ends and get even better.”

Shelton compared Hayes’ internal game clock to some of the best young talent in baseball, likening it to Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo. Hayes made only one error in 68 chances at third base, turning three double plays, and making it look effortless.

“This kid’s going to continue to get better,” Shelton said. “He’s going to be better with people in the stands. He’s going to be better on the big stage. …What he’s doing on the field is special. It’s not something you can teach. It’s something he has. When you watch him do something that maybe looks pedestrian, that’s really hard, it stands out.”

Just like that, the Pirates prospect put talk of his third-baseman-of-the-future tag to bed.

Both third base and a bright future belong to Hayes.

Check out the entire Pirates A to Z series here.