This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates 40-man roster.
Ever since Bryan Reynolds earned his first All-Star appearance with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, he’s served as the steadiest producer in their lineup.
Though his numbers last season weren’t quite up to par with his stellar campaign two years prior, he again helped anchor the Pirates’ lineup while leading the club in several categories. Despite a brutal stretch in the middle of the season, Reynolds ended the year hitting .263 with a .790 OPS (110 wRC+).
Reynolds led the team with 151 hits, a .460 slugging-percentage, 84 RBIs and 85 runs scored. He was tied for first in doubles (31) and finished second in batting average, OPS, home runs (24) and triples (five).
It was largely more of the same for Reynolds, who outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, has proved to be a reliable and impactful player with the bat in his hands.
In the field, a switch back to left field proved to give his defensive numbers a boost. Reynolds was tasked with manning center field the majority of the time from 2021-22 where he largely struggled with a combined minus-19 defensive runs saved. This past season, Reynolds spent 119 games as a left fielder and was plus-two when it came to DRS.
It was not long ago that Reynolds was the subject of widespread trade speculation. Those conversations were put to bed when he signed an eight-year extension worth $106.75 million, by far the largest commitment in franchise history.
For Reynolds, having the assurance he will remain with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the long-haul is a breath of fresh air.
“There’s not gonna be the big question mark that’s been around for the last few,” Reynolds said at the end of the regular season. “So, I get to just be fully focused on Pittsburgh next year and the years after that and just trying to get to the playoffs next year.”
Reynolds’ five seasons in Pittsburgh, to date, have consisted of losing seasons. In 2019, the Pirates went 69-93. Since then, the Pirates finished 19-41 in 2020, 61-101 in 2022, 62-100 in 2023 and 76-86 this past season.
However, with last year’s 14-win improvement, Reynolds is hoping brighter days are ahead in Pittsburgh.
“I’m very excited about next year. I think that gets said every year, but I think this year has more weight with what we’ve done the last month or whatever it’s been. We played well in the beginning, we hit a lull in the middle and had a bunch of young guys come up and we’ve progressively gotten better. So, I think good things are definitely coming here next year.”
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