Reds Infielder Quietly Trending in the Right Direction After Nightmare Start

The Cincinnati Reds made a bit of a head-scratching trade for third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes last season. They had prospect Sal Stewart coming up, seemingly to take the job at third base. But the addition of Hayes, who's signed under contract for a few more years, moved Stewart over to first base while Spencer Steer moved to the outfield.

The deal was made to upgrade the defense, which it did. Hayes has been one of the best defensive players in the league since he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020. But he's never been an incredible hitter. Across his seven years in the league, he's posted an OPS+ over 100 just twice, one of those being the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

This year, Hayes got off to a horrible start, slashing .058/.125/.058 with no extra-base hits through April 19. It was to the point that his struggling bat made his Platinum Glove not worth it for the Reds. But he's been trending in the right direction.

Ke'Bryan Hayes is Beginning to Heat Up at the Plate

Apr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (3) awaits the pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

After beginning the season 3-for-52, Hayes has gone 5-for-18 over his last five games. That's good for a .277 batting average in that stretch, while he's hit a home run, a double, and a triple in that span, too. He's raised his OPS from .183 to .384, which still isn't good, but it's trending in the right direction.

Hayes is hitting the ball harder right now, too. He's hit 16 batted balls with an exit velocity of 99 miles per hour or higher this season. Of those 16 batted balls, six of them have been in the last five games, including his two hardest hit balls of the season, which both occurred on Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers. Hayes smashed a 106.6 miles per hour single and a 105.9 miles per hour double in that game.

On the year, he ranks in the 77th percentile in average exit velocity. He ranks in the 86th percentile in launch angle sweet spot percentage. The veteran infielder has gotten extremely unlucky, but he's seemingly trending in the direction the Reds need.

Reds Need Ke'Bryan Hayes to be Around League Average

Hayes is still one of the best defensive players in the league. The Reds need him to be around league average at the plate to continue justifying him in the lineup, especially with the emergence of Nathaniel Lowe. When Eugenio Suárez returns from the injured list, it's going to be difficult to have Sal Stewart, Suárez, Lowe, and Hayes in the same lineup.

It's hard to expect Hayes to hit around league average. But something along the lines of a 70 OPS+ with a batting average over .225 would be a good goal for the Reds' third baseman.

It doesn't help that he's not pulling the ball either. Hayes has hit a lot of long fly balls to center field this season. Even with his increase in exit velocity, fly balls hit at 98 miles per hour to dead center will almost never leave the park. They're routine flyouts, even if they're hit hard.

Either way, the Reds need him to continue hitting the ball hard while finding a way on base. He wasn't added for his bat, but his bat can't be a liabilty to the team.

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