Hayes provides wow factor with Gold Glove-caliber play at hot corner

PITTSBURGH -- Growing up, Ke'Bryan Hayes was taught that he wasn’t going to get three or four hits every game, but he could make an impact defensively every game. Sometimes it’s as simple as making the routine play.

Then, there are plays like the fifth inning on Thursday night at PNC Park. Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes smacked a Mitch Keller slider up the line, where Hayes was not only able to get to the ball to rob a potential extra-base hit, he was able to fire it across the diamond from foul territory for the out.

“Anytime he’s out there on defense, he’s going to wow you,” manager Don Kelly said. “He continues to make plays like that, that you don’t even think are possible, running that hard to the line and to be able to get that much on it to throw across your body. He’s unbelievable over there.”

If that play looks familiar, Hayes did something remarkably similar in 2021, robbing Yadier Molina of a hit with a perfect throw against his body while tailing the opposite direction. Hayes has called that Molina play his favorite that he has made in the field, but given that Paredes can run better and the wet conditions, there’s a case to be made that Thursday’s offering is just as impressive.

“It’s a crazy play,” said Jared Triolo, a fellow Gold Glover who was on the receiving end of Hayes’ throw. “I don’t think people are surprised anymore. I mean, wet ball, tough play and he put it right on the money. It’s pretty impressive.”

That flash of the leather was one of the few highlights in the Pirates’ 8-2 loss to the Astros, capping a night that started with a three-hour, 22-minute rain delay and finished well after the clock struck midnight on the north shore of the Allegheny River. Between that time, Keller pitched into the seventh, but he allowed six runs and the offense struck out a season-high 16 times, 11 of them at the hand of Framber Valdez.

A 1-for-4 night at the plate to go with a stellar defensive play from Hayes wasn’t enough for the Pirates to take the series, but it’s the latter contribution that could earn Hayes recognition at the end of the season.

After falling just short of playing enough innings to qualify for a Gold Glove in 2021 and finishing second to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado in ‘22, Hayes finally earned his hardware in ‘23. Back issues limited Hayes to 96 games last year and he was unable to defend his title. While he was still good in the field, it wasn’t in line with his previous seasons.

In 2022, Hayes was worth 19 outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. In ‘23, he had 18 OAA. Last season, Hayes had just 6 OAA, which ranked just seventh among qualified defenders at the hot corner.

This season, he’s back to setting the pace defensively at his position. His 9 OAA so far not only has him on pace for his best defensive season, it’s the fourth most in the Majors and the most among National League third basemen. Ryan McMahon is the next closest NL third baseman with 5 OAA, so Hayes has himself positioned to be a contender for the award, if not the front runner.

Of course, there are plenty of factors in play. Hayes has been available all season, which was a major goal coming into the year. So far, so good, but there’s still a large portion of the season remaining. He also needs to continue to play at that elite defensive pace, which is always easier said than done.

But plays like Thursday show that Hayes still has that elite ability. Keller commented that the play was “up there for one of the best ones” he’s seen from Hayes.

After years of watching those plays (and sometimes being the beneficiary), is it even surprising at this point?

“I mean no, not in a way, but when it's happening right before your eyes, yeah, it's pretty amazing,” Keller said.