Ke’Bryan Hayes has been red hot in September

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2021 has not been a year with a lot of bright spots. The Pirates have dealt with never-ending injuries and have the fourth-worst record in the majors. Over the last few weeks, however, there have been some positive signs. In September, Pittsburgh has played more competitive baseball partly due to the resurgence of Ke’Bryan Hayes. The Pirates’ third baseman has taken his game to a new level and shown flashes of his 2020 form.

In 71 at-bats this month, the former top prospect is batting .310. In that span, Hayes has four extra-base hits, including his first home run since August eighth. Since the calendar flipped to September, Hayes has eight runs batted in, which is most in a single month this season since June. Although the Texas native is hitting .259 this season, he has been hard to keep off the base paths of late.

While Hayes is a vital part of the Pirates’ future, he has dealt with injuries this year. In the second game of the season, he hurt his wrist and was out of action for more than two months. As a result, his power numbers have been. A move to the leadoff spot, however, has sparked Hayes and the Pittsburgh offense. His speed has also been on full display as in September. Hayes has five stolen bases, which is more than he had in the first four months of the season.

Expectations for the rest of the season and 2022

Although Hayes has always been known for his defense, he has shown some pop in the majors. Through his first 116 career games, he is batting .282. In his first two seasons, his approach has translated well to the majors. With his gold glove defense at third, the Pirates’ future is bright. In 2021, the 24-year-old has shown that he can handle adversity in a season that has not gone as planned.

With the Pirates out of the playoffs, their focus will be on evaluating younger players such as Hayes over the next two weeks. Hayes has shown the impact he can make and why he was so highly regarded in the minors. After a slow start, Hayes is having a strong finish to the 2021 campaign and is providing excitement for what the future holds.