After dazzling Pirates debut last season, Ke'Bryan Hayes steps into starring role before 1st Opening Day

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Ke'Bryan Hayes already has established himself as one of baseball's top prospects and a foundation piece upon which the Pittsburgh Pirates will build before ever experiencing an Opening Day in the major leagues.

So, the 24-year-old can't help but wonder what it will be like to stand along the first base line at Wrigley Field and hear his name being announced as the starting third baseman for the Pirates when they open the 2021 season against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday afternoon.

"Toeing that line, representing the Pittsburgh Pirates first and that name on the back of my jersey second," Hayes said, describing his daydreams of the once-in-a-lifetime moment. "I feel like every year, even in travel ball, your first game you get chills when you're standing on the line. At the major-league level, it's going to be really special that my first Opening Day is going to be at the historic Wrigley Field."

Since a sensational September debut, Hayes has been dubbed the favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year and a future All-Star and Gold Glove winner.

In his introduction, Hayes passed the eye test with flying colors and had the look of a superstar. He showed the ability to hit for average (.376), for power (five home runs), flash speed on the bases (seven doubles and two triples) and handle the hot corner and make difficult throws with ease. In baseball parlance, he handles pressure with a slow heartbeat.

"It's a special day. Opening Day should be a national holiday, as far as I'm concerned," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "It's different for guys that came up. I think in Key's case, it's even more unique because last year he wasn't in a Triple-A season. He came from an alt site where he was playing two or three innings at a time and then had to immerse himself in a situation where he was playing nine innings."

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington expressed "a lot of confidence that he's going to be not just a good player but an important part of what we're building." Shelton called Hayes "a key part of the foundation that we're building."

Pirates left-hander Steven Brault took it a step further on The Chris Rose Rotation podcast, saying Hayes is the "best everyday ballplayer I've ever played with." Brault even noted that he has been teammates on the Pirates with All-Stars Andrew McCutchen and Josh Bell.

"Nobody compares to what Ke'Bryan does," Brault said. "It's incredible. He makes everything look so easy, that it doesn't even look like he's that good. You know what I mean? Like, he makes plays that would be hard for other people look extremely routine on defense."

Granted, Hayes played less than half of a 60-game season. Nevertheless, Brault stood his ground and defended his belief that Hayes stands apart.

"I don't think it's hyperbole," Brault said. "I'm not saying he's the best player ever. I'm just saying that as far as just in and out everyday the consistency of how good he is at everything in baseball — he's a five-tool guy. I've never played with a true five-tool guy like him. It's awesome."

Brault is hardly alone among Pirates players raving about Hayes. Opening Day starter Chad Kuhl called him a "lockdown defender" and added "seriously, the sky's the limit for how many Gold Gloves that guy can win." Todd Frazier, a two-time All-Star third baseman, called Hayes a "stud" who's "got a swagger to him that's really not cocky about it."

"When you bring up Ke'Bryan Hayes to me, I can't help but the first word that crosses my mind is 'fun,'" Pirates middle infielder Erik Gonzalez said. "I love playing next to that guy."

The youngest son of former Pirates third baseman Charlie Hayes, a 14-year MLB veteran, Ke'Bryan gives the sense that he has a greater understanding of the game and his place in it.

That explains the calmness and confidence exuded by the Pirates' 2015 first-round pick (No. 32 overall) out of Tomball (Texas) Concordia Lutheran High School, who rejected the club's offer to extend his contract this spring. He signed for a $1,855,000 million bonus and will make around the major-league minimum of $575,000 this season, but is patient enough to know that a greater payday awaits.

"It's the business side of it," Hayes said. "My No. 1 goal is to go out there and try to get better every day. If we're able to work out an agreement, that's great. My priority is to get better. It would be great to be able to stay with the team I was drafted by."

Hayes recalled the June day he signed with the Pirates, peering out at PNC Park from the press-level broadcast booth and envisioning himself at third base someday. Now that he's in the Pirates' lineup — in permanent marker, no less — Hayes reminds himself of his good fortune.

"It's what I've worked for my whole life," Hayes said. "It makes me think about how far I've come, all the people along the way — all the coaches and teammates that I've had, everyone that's been so supportive of me. Being able to debut last year and have the success that I did was a real big confidence booster for me, getting to share the field with my teammates and guys that I've watched since I was a little kid.

"It's just very humbling for me. Hopefully, kids back home where I'm from just know that if you put the work in and stay dedicated to reaching your goals that you can do it, no matter if you're Black, white, Hispanic, Latin."

While Hayes has played at Wrigley Field before — in the Under Armour All-American Game in August 2014 — this will mark not only his first Opening Day but the first time his family will be able to watch him play in person in the major leagues. After a season where no spectators were allowed in stadiums last summer, Charlie Hayes and Ke'Bryan's brother, Charles Jr., and his wife and daughter will be in Chicago. His mother Gelinda plans to attend the home opener April 8 at PNC Park.

"For them to be able to watch me, it will be real special," Hayes said. "It's real special to follow in the footsteps of my dad and the work he and my brothers put in. It makes me reminisce back to my first T-ball game. My dad would make us run to a tree. It was just a few hundred yards away, but I hated doing it. It brings a tear to my eye. Sometimes, I'm laying in bed and have random memories like that. It'll be an emotional moment at my first major-league Opening Day."

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .