Many left 2020 asking that question about Ke’Bryan Hayes’ incendiary September performance. The 23-year-old Pirates third baseman hit .376 with five home runs in 24 games during his big league debut. His 1.124 OPS ranked fourth among qualifiers in September, and he showed the array of secondary skills necessary to believe his breakout was no fluke.
No, Hayes won’t maintain a .450 batting average on balls in play, but the rookie hit the ball hard with frequency, took his walks, turned in a 79th percentile sprint speed and delivered on projected Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner.
The incredulity surrounding Hayes stemmed more from his minor league track record—consistently good but never great—than his debut. At Triple-A Indianapolis in 2019, both Hayes’ .336 on-base percentage and .415 slugging ranked below the International League averages.
But scouts remained high on Hayes, whose athleticism, quick swing, patience and defensive prowess stood out, even when his raw offensive output did not. Similar things could have been said about Francisco Lindor heading into 2015 and Hanley Ramirez heading into 2006. But when called up, both shortstops quickly became impact big leaguers.
Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
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THE SERVICE TIME CONUNDRUM
MLB’s byzantine service time rules cloud rookie status and now PPI eligibility
LUIS TIANT WAS MLB'S MOST SUCCESSFUL CUBAN PITCHER
On a scouting trip to Cuba in 1957, Bobby Avila discovered 16-year-old righthander Luis Tiant on the island's Juvenile League all-star team.
ORGANIZATION REPORT
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad's career has been unique, to say the least.
TOP 10 NL EAST
From the moment Thomas White stepped on a high school mound, he was viewed as the top lefthander available in the 2023 draft.
PREPARATION PAYS OFF
lowa politician J.D. Scholten makes a surprising return to pro ball at age 44
MAKING THE GRADE
Assessing the future value of graduated National League prospects
TOP 10 NL WEST
Even in high school, Bryce Eldridge could hit the ball a mile. The 6-foot-7 righthander could also touch 96 mph off the mound.
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
