Ke'Bryan Hayes

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Ke'Bryan Kobe Hayes

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Biographical Information[edit]

The son of big leaguer Charlie Hayes and brother of minor leaguer Tyree Hayes, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the supplemental first round of the 2015 amateur draft, with the 32nd overall pick. He signed quickly, inking a deal with the Pirates on June 16th and was assigned to the GCL Pirates to start his career. he hit .333/.434/.375 in 44 games to earn a late-season promotion to the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League. Over three years younger than the average player in that circuit, he found the going tougher, hitting .222/.320/.244 in 12 games, but still finished with a combined .308 average, 32 runs and 20 RBIs in 56 games for a nice start to his pro career.

He was named to the United States team for the 2018 Futures Game.

He made his major league debut with the Pirates on September 1, 2020 and went on to have a great first month in the Show, being named the National League Rookie of the Month. In 24 games, he hit .376 with 5 homers and 11 RBIs, with an OPS+ of 202! He was an early favorite for the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year Award before the season began, and many commentators stated that his presence in the line-up would be the only reason to pay the Pirates any attention in 2021. So it was a big blow to the team when, after homering on Opening Day, he suffered an injury in in just his second game, on April 3rd, and went on the injured list. He missed exactly two months, coming back on June 3rd, but immediately began to swing a hot bat, collecting two each in each of his first two game backs, and going 7 for 18 in his first four games. On June 8th, however, he made a very embarrassing mistake in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting an apparent home run off Walker Buehler, but had it called back when he failed to touch first base. He finished the season at .257 in 96 games, with 6 homers and 38 RBIs, for an OPS+ of 87. He also had excellent defensive metrics, but did not play enough to qualify for the Gold Glove.

On June 29, 2022, he was gifted with an RBI on a very unusual play when the Washington Nationals failed to properly execute the obscure fourth out rule. With one out in the 5th and runners on second and third base, he lined out to 1B Josh Bell. Both runners were going on the play, and Bell tossed the ball over to 3B Ehire Adrianza, who tagged out Hoy Park, who had been on second base, apparently ending the inning. However, Jack Suwinski, who had been on third base, had already crossed the plate by that time, and while Adrianza then touched the third base bag, he failed to indicate to the umpires that he was appealing Suwinski having left the bag early, so the run was allowed to stand, giving the Pirates a 4-3 lead. The run would prove crucial as they won the game, 8-7. He finished the year at .244 in 136 games, with 7 homers and 41 RBIs, for an OPS+ of 87 in what was his busiest season to date. His biggest value was on defence, as he led all of MLB in defensive runs saved (24) and defensive outs above average (18) but still failed to dislodge Nolan Arenado as the Gold Glove winner as Arenado won for the tenth straight year.

Hayes did win the Gold Glove in 2023, when he played 124 games and hit .271 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs in what was easily his best overall season. For the first time since the 2020 season, he had an OPS+ over 100, finishing at 103. It looked like he had turned a corner, but he fell back into bad habits in 2024, when injuries limited him to 96 games, and he hit just .233 with 4 homers and 25 RBIs when he was able to take the field. His OPS+ tumbled back all the way down to 61. He was having a very similar season in 2025 - minus the injuries - hitting .236 in 100 games with an OPS+ of 60 through the end of July when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on July 30th. In spite of his poor offensive production, the Reds, who were in the hunt for a postseason spot, were looking to upgrade their infield defense, and willing to sacrifice a solid relief pitcher in Taylor Rogers and an infield prospect in Sammy Stafura in order to acquire Ke'Bryan.

Notable Achievements[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Jake Crouse: "Game of inches: Hayes misses 1st on HR trot: Rookie remains unfazed; 'His heartbeat stays the same'", mlb.com, June 8, 2021. [1]
  • Justice delos Santos and Jessica Camerato: "Bucs score because Nats didn't get ... a fourth out?", mlb.com, June 29, 2022. [2]

Related Sites[edit]

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