Pittsburgh Pirates Wake-Up Call – Pivotal Season For Ke’Bryan Hayes?

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was awarded the honor of ninth best overall third base prospect by MLB Pipeline.

The fact that Hayes placed that high was a bit surprising. That is not due to his talent level, which is considerable. Rather, he has been injury plagued over the past season and a half, and it has stunted his development.

Hayes’ importance as a prospect is larger than many realize. Incumbent 3B Jung Ho Kang has a very favorable contract, and an underrated aspect of it is its flexibility. Kang is signed through 2019, but that last year is a team option year with just a $250,000 buyout.

If Hayes is major-league ready by the beginning of 2019, then the Pittsburgh Pirates can save a bit of money and embrace Hayes as their third baseman of the future. If he still needs a bit of work, the club can exercise Kang’s option and bring Hayes in a bit more slowly.

Thus, it is important for Hayes to stay healthy and follow his path of development. The youngster spent virtually all of 2017 with the Single-A West Virginia Power. His 2017 assignment is up in the air, but a full season is more important than any arbitrary assignment. If Hayes falters, there is Will Craig behind him at third, though he is seemingly destined for a move to first.

Simply put, there are quite a few dominoes that could fall directly due to Hayes’ progression. How they fall will be up to him.

For now, enjoy these highlight videos showing off his efficient swing:

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Baseball Talk on the Web

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• Over at Call to the Pen, I wonder out loud what the Rays’ long term plans are for the 2B position.
• I honestly don’t mean to keep linking to Travis Sawchik’s stuff at Fangraphs, but his work there since leaving the Trib has been delightfully varied. Here, he studies the link between jet lag and performance.