Forming the best possible second half lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates

What does the best possible lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates look like as we head into the second half of the year?

Jul 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (left) celebrates with designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) after Cruz hit a game winning walk off single to win the game against the St. Louis Cardinals in ten innings at PNC Park. The Pirates won 5-4 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (left) celebrates with designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (22) after Cruz hit a game winning walk off single to win the game against the St. Louis Cardinals in ten innings at PNC Park. The Pirates won 5-4 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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Third Base: Ke'Bryan Hayes

Ke'Bryan Hayes looked like he finally figured something out during the summer of last year. From June through the end of the season, Hayes batted .307/.334/.528 with a .363 wOBA and 127 wRC+. He was hitting for power, going yard 13 times in only 305 plate appearances with a .221 isolated slugging percentage. While he wasn't walking a ton, with a 4.3% BB%, he also wasn't striking out often, with a 21.6% K%.

But so far, 2024 has been rough for the third baseman. Hayes is only hitting .225/.287/.296 with a .262 wOBA, and 66 wRC+. While he's kept his K% below 20% at 19.4%, he has only drawn a walk 6.8% of the time. The power which he displayed during summer 2023 has seen a dropoff with an .067 isolated slugging percentage. He's lifting the ball less, pulling the ball less, and not making as much good contact.

At the very least, Hayes has been his normal self defensively at the hot corner. He has +3 defensive runs saved and +4 outs above average in only 582 innings. The only National League third baseman with more OAA is Joey Ortiz. Hayes has made some great plays as usual and could look to secure his second Gold Glove.

Hopefully, Hayes will turn it around soon. We know what Hayes is capable of, and if he bats anything like he did last year, he'll provide a big spark to this lineup. He needs to make some tweaks to his swing and timing to pull the ball and lift the ball more frequently, but if he does that, look out, because a hot Ke'Bryan Hayes could bring a ton of offense.

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