Today I’m wrapping up my positional recaps with a position that hopefully won’t require prospect help in Pittsburgh anytime soon. As I wrote today at No Quarter, the 2021 season saw a drop in power from Ke’Bryan Hayes, helping to lead to an overall below-average season.
It’s far too soon to give up on Hayes based on his first full season at the age of 24. I could see him improving in 2022 to being an average or better starter, and I still think he’s got All-Star upside at third base.
In the event that Hayes doesn’t work out — whether that’s due to injuries or unexpected poor performance — the Pirates do have a few options to replace him.