Pirates' Derek Shelton Praises Progress of 3B Star

Injuries limited Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to 96 games last season.
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (13) throws to first base to retire Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (not pictured) during the sixth inning at PNC Park. The Phillies won 6-0.
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (13) throws to first base to retire Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (not pictured) during the sixth inning at PNC Park. The Phillies won 6-0. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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If the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to improve after going 76-86 in back-to-back seasons, the health of third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes is going to be imperative toward their success.

Multiple back injuries led to two separate stints on the injured list, the last of which led to him not returning to the diamond after the Pirates' 7-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 17. With the 2024 season a distant memory, Hayes has set his sights on the 2025 season and manager Derek Shelton is pleased with the progress the gold glove-winning third baseman has made in the offseason.

"In [Ke'Bryan's] case, it's just keeping him healthy," Shelton said on MLB Network. "If you look at the body of work, when he's been healthy, go back to '23, the last three months he wasn't healthy. In July, only played one game, but in the three months he was healthy, [he was a] really good offensive player [and] maybe one of the five best defenders in the game. He does things at third base so naturally that you just can't teach. He's having a good offseason. He's doing all baseball activities. He's swinging [and] he's taking ground balls. Now, it's early December, but we needed that because he missed so much time. [I'm] really encouraged about where he's at."

Hayes, 27, only played in 96 games for Pittsburgh in 2024, missing most of the month of May and the final 39 games of the season. Hayes saw his numbers on offense dip considerably from 2023, as he hit .233/.283/.290 with four home runs and 25 RBIs. In 2023, Hayes played in 124 games and hit a career-high 15 home runs, drove in 61 runs and posted a slash line of .271/.309/.453.

A back injury also cost Hayes all but one game in the month of July in 2023. Despite missing 38 games, Hayes still won the NL Gold Glove award for third baseman.

Hayes' health is going to be imperative to the Pirates' success next season. If he can find a way to stay healthy and regain his form from 2023, that could stand to be one of Pittsburgh's biggest additions for 2025 and help it take the next step as it looks to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.

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