Once again, the Cincinnati Reds have let their fans down with another underwhelming season amid a horrible slump, dropping back down to .500 as of September 9th. However, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Redlegs, as Ke’Bryan Hayes begins to revive his career in the Queen City.
The former gold glove shortstop for the Pirates, joined the Reds July 31st, the day of the trade deadline, in a deal that included left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers, shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, and cash considerations. Now, this trade seemed bad at first because LHP Taylor Rogers was putting up above average pitching numbers (2.45 ERA through 33.0 IP) and Hayes was batting a poor .236 with two homers and only 36 RBI’s, making this trade seems heavily lopsided for the Pirates; however, the Reds were really lacking in the defensive department, and this is where Hayes thrives.
Over the 2025 season, Hayes has amassed a 2.1 Defensive WAR (wins above replacement) putting him well above the next best player on the Reds, Jose Trevino, who only has a 0.5 dWAR. This has been huge for the Reds who are hosting a bottom six fielding percentage this year, to go along with their 82 errors, which is also bottom eight worst in the league. Luckily for the Reds, his defensive prowess could be immediately seen on August 18th when he made many impressive plays in the field, capped off with an incredible barehand putout to first that had bounced off of pitcher Brady Singer. But that’s what you expect from the gold glove third basemen that you traded for at the deadline to do right? What you don’t expect is the defense first, below average hitting, third basemen to become one of the best hitters on the team during the final push for the playoffs.
Over his limited 36 games played for the Reds, Hayes has batted a solid .272, raising his abysmal .236 batting average up to a better .244. Along with his average, his .344 on base percentage (OBP) is fifth highest on the Reds above star players such as Elly De La Cruz and Noelvi Marté. Key has also shown some unexcepted power crushing three homers, six doubles, and 12 RBIs. Even more impressively, Hayes has a .400 batting average with 12 hits, five of those being RBIs, and three runs scored in his last 10 games, six of those ten games being wins for the Reds, helping the Reds secure a record above .500. And if he can keep this hot bat going, it would mean a lot for the Reds due to them being only 0.01 points above league average when it comes to batting average.
So, how has he impacted the Reds? Well, he gives them an everyday starter, who not only is an above average defender, but someone who can also swing the bat, the latter being most important for the Reds’ dormant offense. The only other player who can do this for the Reds is centerfielder T.J Friedl, who has been the definition of consistency this season. And with Hayes batting eighth in the lineup, it means that once he gets on, he can allow said T.J Friedl to come up to the dish and do his thing, hopefully carrying over the momentum that Ke’Bryan has given them.
So, as another season comes to a close, and teams make their final pushes to the playoffs, what will happen to the former All-Star? Will he be able to carry the Reds to the playoff game that fans have been hoping for? Can Hayes shine some light on the dark pit that is the Reds’ organization? Hopefully, because Heaven knows the Reds need a player that can stay consistent for them. Even so, if Ke’Bryan Hayes can’t carry the torch to sneak into a wildcard spot, he will hold the key to the organization for years to come.
UPDATE:
As of September 11, Ke’Bryan Hayes and the Reds are miraculously only two games back from the NL Wildcard. Making it more disappointing when they do inevitably miss the playoffs.
