Topps Series 2 is another flagship set and continues celebrations of the 70th anniversary. Once the series 2 was released, I called a card shop owner and bought some packs of the 2021 Topps Series 2, trying to find some cool rookie cards in this set.
Well, I did get some rookie cards that look pretty good.
Ke’Bryan Hayes was selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2015 draft. After spending 5 seasons in the minors, Hayes was called up last September. Hayes played 24 games in 2020, slashing .376/.442/.682. His first month in the majors went pretty well and it seems that he will be the Pirates’ third baseman for a long time.
Hayes crushed a solo home run on the 2021 opening day and he looked ready for the 2021 season. However, he injured his left wrist in the second game of the season on a foul swing and he was placed on the injured list. Hayes returned on June 3. In June, Hayes had 100 plate appearances, hitting .273/.350/.409 with 2 home runs and 13 RBI. By far, Hayes is batting .261/.338/.443 with 4 home runs and 17 RBI in 32 games this season. His performance in the first half of the 2021 season hasn’t been as good as expected. But, let’s see how he will perform after the All-Star break.
In addition, I got a Pavin Smith rookie card. Pavin Smith was selected by the Rockies in the 32nd round of the 2014 draft, but he didn’t sign. 3 years later, he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2017 MLB draft. Smith played in the minors from 2017 to 2019. He was called up last September. Pavin Smith played 12 games last season, batting .270/.341/.405 with 1 home run.
In the 2021 season, Pavin Smith already played several defensive positions. He can play at first base and have appearances in all three outfield positions. Meanwhile, his bat is important in the Diamondbacks’ lineup. By far this season, Smith is hitting .263/.317/.403 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI. A batting average of .263 is the highest in the Diamondbacks lineup. Also, Smith has 79 hits, which is the 2nd most among rookies. Nevertheless, Smith seems to be hitting the rookie wall. He had a .265/.307/.458 slash line in April and slashed .306/.355/.432. But, in June, he was hitting only .230/.295/.299. He has 3 hits so far in July, 2 of those 3 hits were home runs.
Ke’Bryan Hayes and Pavin Smith each made it into the big league last September. And, they each become an everyday player and have been important for their teams. In their first full season, it will be very interesting to see whether they can consistently play well and make adjustments. Hayes hasn’t been as outstanding as he was last September. Smith seems to hit the rookie wall. The first half of the 2021 season is almost done. After the All-Star break, how well can they perform? What stats will they show us? Additionally, can one of them win the 2021 Rookie of the Year award?
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