PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates began 2020 with plenty of questions. The truncated 60-game schedule provided few answers save for one: Ke’Bryan Hayes can play. Really, really play.

The rookie third baseman’s splashy debut — one that finished with a flourish thanks to an eight-game hitting streak that raised his average to an eye-popping .376 — provided an incandescent silver lining in a season at times felt epically long. Losing a major-league high 41 games will do that. Still, Hayes proved he belonged in the bigs.

“I was just so excited to finally get the opportunity to come up here,” said Hayes, who showed a flair for the dramatic by homering in his debut on Sept. 1.

And to think the biggest issue when Hayes arrived was how he would cope at the plate. A three-time Gold Glove winner in the minors, Hayes came out swinging and didn’t stop, hitting .516 over the final week. His arrival gave his team a serious jolt and perhaps a glimpse that better days are ahead.