So, who’s next?
Who will be the Bucs’ next breakout player? The 2020 season certainly was forgettable in many respects – most notably the won-loss record – but it might be remembered as the year that Ke’Bryan Hayes broke out and established himself as a cornerstone for the next Pirates’ rebuilding project.
Hayes, held back by a positive COVID-19 test early in the re-booted 2020 campaign, finally was called up to the big club halfway through the truncated season and made his big league debut on Sept. 1 at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs.
All Hayes did was go 2 for 5, score three times and drive in two runs in an 8-7 loss.