MLBbro Ke’Bryan Hayes Wants To Make Sure Everybody Knows He’s Figured Out This Hitting Thing
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman KeBryan Hayes continues to finish 2023 on a pitcher’s demolition mission.
His wood-walking earns him the Home Boi Highlights feature of the regular season.
#HIGHFIVE | Return Of The Greene Machine, T.A. Is A Closer, Ke’Bryan Hayes Has Arrived
Hunter Greene “Machine” is the best pitcher in the Majors under the age of 25 and with his Cincinnati Reds in the thick of the playoff race, he performed like an Ace Wednesday afternoon, striking out 14 Twins which is the most in a single start by a Reds pitcher since 2000.
That earns him the top spot on Week 24 of our #HighFive list.
1. Hunter Greene “Machine”
The Reds have a little over a week left to shock the world and earn themselves a trip to the playoff with one of the youngest rosters in the Majors. If they want to accomplish what most outside of their clubhouse believed they could not do, they need someone to step up and be the Ace of their rotation and Hunter Greene is that dude.
In Wednesday afternoon’s contest against the Minnesota Twins, Greene threw seven innings, striking out 14 and allowing just one run on three hits and a walk. Since 1906, Greene is the ninth pitcher in Reds franchise history to strike out 14 in a game.
That marked the sixth time in his career Greene K’d at least 10 in a start as he lowered his season ERA to 4.24 and increased his strikeout total to 143 in just 20 games this year.
NL Wild Card Race Has A Brocentric Fate | Stro Show, Jazz, Greene Machine Take Center Stage
He also has given up three or less runs for four consecutive starts.
Greene’s next appearance on the mound will be Wednesday in an interstate matchup against the Guardians in Cleveland.
2. “TA” Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson is ending his rough 2023 season strong as he reminds folks, he still has the skills that led him to a batting title in 2019.
A .444 batting average for Anderson over his last seven games is a far cry from the struggles he faced at the plate this year. He has hit safely in seven straight games and in nine out of 11 since September 8th. The drama around Anderson will continue to circulate this off-season as his White Sox have a $14 million team option that they can pick up on him.
If they choose not to, he will enter free agency and do what I think is best for his career, get far, far away from the south side of Chicago.
3. Ke’Bryan Hayes
By this time next year, Ke’Bryan Hayes has a chance to be considered the best third baseman in the Majors. His play over the last seven games gave us a look at his potential on both sides of the ball.
The soon to be named National League Gold Glove third baseman is slashing .448/.452/.655 with five RBI, a homer and a stolen base.
He is currently fourth amongst Major League third in batting average and 10th in slugging percentage and total hits.
4. Marcus Semien
Marcus Semien knows what is at stake for his Rangers and is answering the call with big time performances in what is the closest divisional race since 1969. Entering Friday, the Rangers, Mariners and Astros are all separated by a half a game with only 10 contests remaining.
Semien, who saw his last playoff race in 2021 end with his Blue Jays missing out on October’s greatest tournament by one game, is doing his part to make sure that is not the result for him in 2023.
He is slashing .320/.452/.560 over his last seven games with eight RBI, five walks and a homer, which was his franchise record 9th leadoff bomb of the year.
This weekend Semien and his Rangers take on J.P. Crawford and the Seattle Mariners in the final home series of the year for Texas.
5. Jordan “Sky” Walker
Jordan “Sky” Walker showed off his clutch gene with the first game-winning home run of his career Saturday afternoon against the Phillies.
Walker has put a ribbon on a successful rookie campaign with a great month of September.
With 10 days left this month, he is batting .302 with four home runs, eight RBI, two doubles and his first career game-winning bomb in the eighth inning last Saturday afternoon.
That game began with a diving catch by Walker to rob the game’s first hitter of extra bases.
He now has hits in eight straight games and four multi-hit games this month.
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ Bat Has Finally Caught Up To His Glove | Pirates Franchise Player Is Crushing The Game
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been smiling ever since their franchise player Ke’Bryan Hayes returned from the injured list.
Hayes has been hot at the plate since his return and once again, he’s made an adjustment at the plate that has been paying off.
The 26-year-old third baseman returned to action at the beginning of the month after missing the majority of July where he only saw action in one game.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Miss Franchise Player Ke’Bryan Hayes | The Numbers Don’t Lie
Within the last week, Hayes has been automatic at the plate, currently carrying a five-game hitting streak.
He had three consecutive multi-hit games, one of which was a three-hit performance with a home run and three RBI against the Atlanta Braves on August 9.
Hayes had an impressive performance in that series against the Braves. He appeared in three games and went 7-for-13 at the plate with two homers and nine RBI.
https://www.mlb.com/video/brad-hand-in-play-run-s-to-ke-bryan-hayes
If you watch Hayes at the plate, you will see that he’s gone back to a short leg kick and he shortened the load with his hands.
“[I’ve been] in a good spot to hit, and fortunately getting the pitches to put good swings on,” Hayes said in an mlb.com article. “Just been working a lot, figuring out a setup to make my movements as minimal as possible. But yeah, just ultimately being in a good spot with my body being behind the ball and being able to let the barrel work down.”
This adjustment that Hayes has made at the plate has allowed him to see a big improvement within the small amount of time he’s been back.
Through 84 games he’s hitting .255 with eight home runs and 43 RBI.
“I feel like I have all the time in the world, because my movement is a lot more simple and it’s more of just a ‘step to the ball and hit’ type of thing,” he said. “Last month or so, I’ve been seeing the ball well. It’s just that contact’s a little too deep, catching the ball with my bat path coming down versus being behind the ball. Then once I turn my hips, the barrel is working its way up through the zone, through the ball. Just really being behind the ball and being able to get the bat head up.”
One thing that Hayes takes pride in is making adjustments to put himself in the best position to be successful.
If that means he has to make multiple adjustments within a short amount of time, he will do just that.
Being a hitter in the MLB is a tough task and not too many players have success throughout their careers, but Hayes is a player who can have success on the offensive side.
“I feel like being behind the ball better allows the barrel to get out in front a little better,” Hayes said. “You have a little room for error. You can be a little early, a little late, even.”
If Hayes can continue to be healthy during his time in Pittsburgh, the Pirates can have a bright future with a player like him leading the way.
With his defensive abilities and improved hitting, he can become an all-star in Pittsburgh without a doubt.
Going into his fourth season, we have seen a lot of improvement in Hayes’ game and the Pirates organization is very high on this MLBbro.
This player can go on to have a really good career and he rack up numerous awards as well.
Ke’Bryan Hayes & Taylor Hooton Foundation Fight Against The Dangers Of Performance Enhancing Drugs
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes sits on the advisory board of the Taylor Hooton Foundation. Together, they have a mission to keep young athletes educated about the harmful effects of anabolic steroids, which can ultimately lead to death.
Recent Comments