Ke'Bryan Hayes Adding Spark Back To Pirates Lineup
The old saying goes that hitting is contagious! For the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates, they may just be proving that statement to be truer than some people think. Prior to the return of third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, the Pirates had gone just 2-9 over their last 11 games and their only two wins came in a series victory over the Colorado Rockies last weekend. However, since Hayes has come back, the Pirates have rattled off back-to-back wins and scored a combined 14 runs so far against a very good pitching Marlins team. That has started with the top four hitters in the Pirates order as Adam Frazier, Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and Jacob Stallings have been big contributors.
Whether that directly correlates with the return of Ke'Bryan Hayes or not is up for interpretation, but they have been on an upswing. In games where Ke'Bryan Hayes has played a full nine innings, the Pirates are 3-0 and overall are 3-1 in games where Hayes makes at least one appearance. The rookie burst onto the scene in September of last season when he hit .376 with five home runs and 11 RBI. He was the odds on favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year award before the season started, but two games in he suffered a wrist injury. Now that he is back, the Pirates have a formidable top of the lineup and it is setting them up with more run-scoring opportunities. Today, we look at the effect Hayes being back in the lineup has on the team, and how it can help them moving forward.
Scoring Runs Early
For a young Pirates pitching staff, one of the keys to success is staking them to an early lead. However, their overall offensive numbers were not lining up with scoring runs early. In the first inning, the Pirates had a team batting average of just .245 and in the second inning, that number drops to .225. This has led to the team scoring just 28 first-inning runs and 25 second-inning runs in the team's first 56 games played. A lot of these struggles were because the Pirates could not find a formidable number, two-hitter. Frazier has been dynamite in the leadoff spot, and Reynolds has been solid as a number three hitter, but Reynolds was always coming up with one out and a runner on. Kevin Newman, Been Gamel, and even Ka'ai Tom had their time in the two spot, but nobody could really hold down the position.
However, with Hayes in that two spot, Reynolds has gotten the opportunity to come to the plate with more runners on and an opportunity to drive them in. In his first two games back from the injured list, Hayes has hit a perfect .500 (4-8) with a home run, a triple, and three RBI. He has been on base in five of his nine at-bats and, with Frazier hitting well, routinely gave Reynolds a chance with two on base. With the bases empty, Bryan Reynolds still hits a pretty good .272, however, when people get on base, Reynolds gets locked in. When he has one runner on base, he has hit .333, and when two runners are on base that average goes up to .357. Hayes getting on base has been a big plus for the team and has led to the Pirates being able to drive in more and more early runs in support of his pitcher.
The addition of Hayes also brings a bit of pop to the Pirates lineup, that they were so desperately searching for. In four games played so far this season, he has hit two home runs and driven in four RBI. Hayes never really showed much pop in the Minor Leagues, but it has come through here in the Majors. In a total of 28 Big League games, Hayes has hit seven home runs and drove in 14 RBI. With Moran already showing good power in the clean-up spot, and Reynolds hitting the ball out of the ballpark like crazy as of late, that is a formidable two-three-four spot in the lineup. I don't believe that any of those three hitters are ever going to hit 30-40 home runs, but when you have three guys who can hit 15-20 home runs, it is a positive for the team, especially late in games.
Not Going To Fix It Alone
While all this early success for Hayes is nice, there is no question that eventually, he will come back down to Earth. Team's will have more video on the young third baseman and will make adjustments to stop his strengths. This is when we will really see what Hayes is made of if he can adjust and be a consistent producer in the Big Leagues. There are many players who have come out and started their careers strong, but the question is whether or not he can sustain it. An example of this can be seen in the career of the last, and still only, Pirates player to win Rookie of the Year. Jason Bay started his Pirates career with a bang, hitting .282 with 26 home runs and 82 RBI. However, after the 2007 season, Bay had a batting average over .280 just once and faded away.
Hayes has been a guy that has shown consistency in the Minor Leagues, but now he has to show that he can do it in the Major Leagues. And, it isn't going to be Hayes alone that changes this team, as the Pirates have to keep developing players. Right now, the only two Pirates I see sticking around for the next winning team on the offensive side of the ball are Bryan Reynolds and Hayes. Moran is a fringe guy, who the Pirates could extend to hold down first base until Mason Martin is ready. With that in mind, this core needs to establish themselves now, so that when guys like Travis Swaggerty, Cal Mitchell, and Liover Peguero get here there will be established bats in the lineup.
Hayes coming back is an excitement to fans and has seemed to revitalize the offense as of late. However, we have to remember that we are still in a rebuild, and guys like Adam Frazier, Jacob Stallings, and maybe even Colin Moran might not be in the lineup at the end of the year. Even when the team is stripped down, it will be up to a guy like Hayes to keep carrying the lost and make games exciting to watch. Hayes and Reynolds are two core pieces of this team down the line, and it is players like these that we will be watching develop before our eyes at the Major League level. It is a long process, but for now, Hayes's return has sparked an offense looking to get going.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (22-34) look to make it three-in-a-row against the Miami Marlins (24-32) this afternoon at 4:05 pm. Chase De Jong (0-0, 1.80) makes his second Pirates start and looks to build off a strong first outing when he faces Trevor Rogers (6-3, 1.87) for the Marlins. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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