Will Hayes have a big year in his first full season with the Reds?
The Cincinnati Reds will certainly be a ball club to watch throughout the 2026 campaign. They are building a potential contender and happen to play in a winnable National League Central division. While the starting rotation could quietly be one of the best in baseball, Cincinnati's offense has serious uncertainty. Bringing in another bat or two should be a priority for the Reds, but they could receive a boost from a player who is already on the roster. Ke'Bryan Hayes, who the Reds acquired last season, is a tremendous defensive third baseman, but can he take a step forward at the plate in 2026?
Hayes was once a highly regarded prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made his debut in 2020 and finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Hayes would play in Pittsburgh until 2025, when the Pirates ultimately decided to move in a different direction. As a result, Hayes ended up with the Reds, appearing in 52 games with Cincinnati last season.
The third baseman earned the second Gold Glove Award of his career, but Hayes struggled offensively -- something that has become a trend in his career. Overall, he has slashed just .253/.308/.367 to go along with a .675 OPS across his six MLB seasons.
Hayes hit .324 through 24 games in his rookie season -- which was the shortened 60-game campaign in 2020 -- but he has been unable to replicate his early career offensive success since.
For Hayes to become an especially reliable player, or even a star, he will need to figure things out offensively. Hayes' defense has been terrific for years, but his offense makes him a fringe everyday player at the moment. If Hayes can become at least a league average hitter, he would instantly become a quality everyday big league ball player. And if he could hit better than league average, Hayes would probably become a star given his elite defensive prowess.
It remains to be seen if Hayes will take that step forward, though. He did record a career-best strikeout rate in his time with the Reds last season, finishing with a 16.9 percent mark. His 36.8 percent hard-hit rate was a career-low, though.
If Hayes can find a way to improve that mark while continuing to limit his strikeouts, he could see offensive improvement in 2026. If that ends up being the case, the Reds will receive a crucial boost.