Morning Rundown: Ke'Bryan Hayes wins first Gold Glove

Photo Credit: WTM

The first bit of season awards were announced on Sunday, starting with the Gold Glove, handed out to the best defensive players at each position.

It’s been a long time coming, but Ke’Bryan Hayes finally won a Glove Glove for his play at third base.

Since he first stepped on the diamond as a major leaguer, Hayes has been one of the best players defensively.

Now, he finally has the hardware to go with it.

Using Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average (OAA), Hayes’ +17 was the fourth-highest mark in baseball. The next highest NL third baseman was Manny Machado, with a +11 mark.

Since coming into the league in 2020, Hayes has put together a +51 OAA, with Nolan Arenado’s +35 being the next closest at the position.

Even sliding onto FanGraphs, Hayes had the third most Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 21. The gap between Hayes and his peers since 2020 widens on FanGraphs, as Ryan McMahon trails him by 22 (65 to 43).

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The Fall Stars game took place this weekend, with Jase Bowen being the only participant from the Pirates’ system.

He entered the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning and stepped to the plate the following frame.

Bowen belted a double in his first at-bat and later stole third base.

It’s been a really strong fall for Bowen, who has remained one of the most productive hitters in the league from the start.