The Dog Hayes of Summer
Ke’Bryan Hayes (CIN): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The trade deadline came and went, and many players swapped teams. Remember when Pirates owner Bob Nutting said, “It’s time for us as an organization to put a stake in the ground,” after inking Ke’Bryan Hayes to a $70 million, eight-year extension in April 2022? Welp, so much for that. Yesterday, the Pirates shipped Hayes to the Reds for a 20-year-old shortstop in Single-A named Sammy Stafura and 34-year-old lefty reliever Taylor Rogers.
Hayes’ Reds debut didn’t start on the finest note. In the sixth inning of yesterday’s barn burner at the GABP, Hayes couldn’t find the handle on a groundball hit by Eli White, opening the doors for a two-run, game-tying rally. However, he helped salvage his debut wearing red and white by sending a 0-2 slider from Dane Dunning a few rows over the left field fence for a two-run shot in the eighth.
Hayes’ shot would have been gone in all but two parks, according to Statcast: Camden Yards and Fenway Park. He leaves the Pirates behind with a career .254 batting average, 39 home runs, and an 84 wRC+ over 2,284 plate appearances. Hayes has flashed above-average raw power, but a penchant for ground balls, a low pull rate, and a low walk rate have rendered him one of the least productive hitters in baseball. He entered last night’s game with a 57 wRC+, behind only Brenton Doyle (51 wRC+) for the lowest among qualified hitters. Regardless, Hayes and his stellar glove are headed to the GABP, where he can perhaps poke another flyball or two into the seats than he otherwise would have had he stayed in Pittsburgh.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:
Ozzie Albies (ATL): 4-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Albies entered play with a career low .221 batting average and 78 wRC+, the latter seventh-worst among qualified hitters. Yeah, 2025 has been brutal, but he at least has his first four-hit game of the year. The big hit was a two-run double to right against righty reliever Lyon Richardson, pushing the Braves to a 10-3 lead in the eighth. I’m unsure what to make of Albies’ intense struggles, but his PLV metrics don’t offer much of a silver lining aside from above-average contact ability. Oddly enough, all nine of his homers have come as a lefty, contradicting his drastic career splits.
Ben Rice (NYY): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Rice dealt his damage in the second on a cutter from Ryan Pepiot (399 feet, 11o EV). The 26-year-old lefty has been this year’s Yankee enigma. He entered yesterday afternoon, hitting just .202 with a .675 OPS since June 1st. However, his 129 wRC+ versus RHP and stellar PLV metrics, including a 125 Process+, indicate someone who shouldn’t be on the waiver wire in any daily lineup league.
Marcell Ozuna (ATL): 1-2, 3 R, RBI, 3 BB.
Well, so much for being dealt. The Padres seemed interested in Ozuna, but ended the deadline acquiring Ryan O’Hearn instead. Ozuna’s power has fallen off a cliff, most likely due to his hip injury. Still, he has shown a remarkably sharp eye at the plate as he entered play with a career-best 16.4% walk rate. Questionable playing time leaves Ozuna’s fantasy managers in a tough spot; he hit cleanup yesterday against the lefty Andrew Abbott, but Snitker could keep rolling with the Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin tandem against right-handed pitching.
Noelvi Marte (CIN): 3-6, 2 R.
The 23-year-old former top prospect has delivered an exciting power/speed combo thus far; he entered play yesterday, hitting .275 with seven longballs, six stolen bases, and a 123 wRC+ over 150 plate appearances. Marte had also played 38 of his 40 games at third base, where he has had trouble defensively. However, the Hayes trade will shift him into the outfield; he started in right field yesterday. He also hit second for the first time all year, which would, of course, bode well for his outlook the rest of the way.
Cole Young (SEA): 2-3, HR, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Seattle’s 22-year-old rookie lefty second baseman hasn’t done much yet; he entered last night’s meeting with the Rangers, hitting .239 with an 81 wRC+ over 158 plate appearances. However, his third home run was an absolute nuke off Kumar Rocker, which soared about 470 feet with a 113.4 EV. That’s tied with Mike Zunino for the longest home run hit at T-Mobile Park since Statcast started in 2015. Deep leaguers might want to put him on their watchlists.
Cal Raleigh (SEA): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
More awesomeness from the best catcher in baseball. Last night’s skyscraper against Kumar Rocker had just enough carry to make it over the fence in right (364 feet, 101.3 EV) and would have been gone in only ten other parks. But that doesn’t matter. With 42 home runs, he now owns the single-season record for a switch-hitting catcher, beating Todd Hundley, who stroked 41 for the Mets in 1996. And he has two months left.
Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 3-6, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
De La Cruz’s two-run tater to center came off Cookie Carrasco in the third, putting the Reds ahead 3-0 (415 feet, 105.2 EV). The 23-year-old switch-hitter hadn’t gone yard since June 23rd. Regardless, he has had a terrific season, hitting .282 with a 129 wRC+, thanks, in part, to shaving nearly seven points off his strikeout rate. He has, however, continued to be far more effective from the left side of the plate (152 wRC+ in 322 PAs as a LHB vs. 78 wRC+ in 146 PAs as a RHB).
Giancarlo Stanton (NYY): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Stanton’s first at-bat ended with a 432-foot moonshot (111.6 EV) off Ryan Pepiot that pushed the Yankees’ lead to 3-0. He’s going to hurt you in runs, batting average, and OBP, but the 2017 NL MVP can still hit dingers; he is up to eight in 111 at-bats, right around his career mark of 14.06 at-bats per home run, which is ninth all-time (3000 PA minimum). If only he had avoided injuries.
Spencer Steer (CIN): 1-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
After taking an 11-3 lead in the top of the eighth, Atlanta watched with horror as the Reds rallied. Spencer Steer capped the comeback by drilling a slider from Dylan Lee into the left field seats for a three-run home run (375 feet, 104 EV). But it was all for naught as Atlanta held on to a 12-11 win on a sac-fly from Ozuna in the tenth. Steer, meanwhile, entered the night, hitting .242 with a 90 wRC+, as an unexciting but palatable option for 5 OF leagues.
Sean Murphy (ATL): 2-2, 2B, R, RBI, 3 BB.
Murphy probably doesn’t get mentioned enough. His .226 average might not be pretty, but he has provided Atlanta with solid production (121 wRC+). He needs just five home runs to tie his career-high of 21 from two years ago. His PLV metrics are mostly good across the board, including a 121 Power+ and 109 Power+. Strikeouts are the only glaring issue (80 Contact Ability+).
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire | Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky
