MLB Breakdown #3: Hayes Makes Immediate Impact For Pittsburgh

Since making his major league debut on Sept. 1, former Tribe third baseman and three-time MiLB Gold Glove winner Ke’Bryan Hayes has solidified his spot on the Pirates infield by providing a boost to the offense.

After hitting a double and home run in his debut vs. Chicago (NL), Hayes has continued to show promise against big-league pitching. His current .296 batting average (16-for-54), .377 on base percentage and .537 slugging percentage all lead Pittsburgh’s active roster.

Through his first 10 games, Hayes was supporting a .324 average (11-for-34) courtesy of four multi-hit contests. He followed it with a string of five straight 1-for-4 games before a hitless performance in game 2 of a doubleheader vs. St. Louis last night dropped his average below .300 for the first time since Sept. 4.

On the mound, Pittsburgh’s pitching has improved from where it was in August. Its ERA has dropped from 5.25 (127er/217.2ip) to 4.86 (83er/153.2ip). This is, in part, thanks to reliever Chris Stratton and the dominance he’s had as of late.

Since surrendering four earned runs in 0.2 innings on Aug. 14 at Cincinnati, Stratton has turned his season around in Pittsburgh’s bullpen. Over his last 15 appearances, he has shut down opposing offenses with a 1.13 ERA (2er/16.0ip) and .197 batting average against.

His numbers have been even better in September alone. He has a 0.93 ERA (1er/9.2ip) with 14 strikeouts, tied with Derek Holland for the most by a Pirates reliever in the month.