Position: OF
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats/Throws: B/R
Born: 01/27/1995
College: Vanderbilt University
Drafted: 2nd Rd., 59th Overall, 2016 (Giants)
How Acquired: Trade (with Kyle Crick and $500,000 in international bonus pool space from Padres for Andrew McCutchen and $2,500,000)
Bonus: $1,350,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 3
Overview
The Giants drafted Reynolds as an outfielder with a good hit tool and some power potential, although scouts had doubts whether his approach would lead to much power as a pro. In the minors he had some strikeout problems and didn’t walk much. Those trends have both changed as he’s gotten established in the majors. By 2022, he’d established himself as the Pirates’ best hitter. His defense has been a point of controversy, especially when he’s been in center field, as the defensive metrics haven’t been enthused about him. His arm is about average and his speed above average.
2016-18
Reynolds consistently hit above .300 with gap power as he reached AA in his second full year. His walk rates were not high in his first two years. The Pirates acquired him in the Andrew McCutchen trade after the 2016 season and he spent 2017 at Altoona. His season there got off to a rough start, as he suffered a hamate injury in his fourth game and had to have surgery. He returned in late May. Hitters don’t necessarily get back into form right away following hamate surgery. In particular, their power may take a half a year or more to return. Reynolds, though, came back strongly. After going 0-for-11 in his first three games back, he hit 316/398/456.
2019-20
In 2019, Reynolds got off to a very hot start in AAA and, when Starling Marte went on the injured list, the Pirates called him up. He hit very well right from the start and won a regular job. He contended for the batting title until a weak September (.643 OPS). He missed the last few days of the season with a hamstring injury. A lot of analysts considered Reynolds’ hitting unsustainable due to a batting average on balls in play that stayed over .400 much of the year. It finished, though, at .387, which wasn’t far off his figures in the minors, which ranged from .362 to .391. Like many switch hitters, Reynolds hit much better left-handed (.931 OPS) than right-handed (.756). He played mostly in left.
As with nearly all of the Pirates’ position players, Reynolds’ 2020 season was a disaster. His hitting largely fell off a cliff, plummeting to 189/275/357. Some of the problem may have been bad luck, as his BABIP plummeted all the way to .231. He played left until September, when he started playing a lot in center.
2021-22
In 2021, Reynolds bounced back in a big way, earning a starting spot in the All-Star Game. His power took a big step forward without a sacrifice in any other area. In fact, his walk total increased sharply as opponents pitched much more carefully to him. He handled pitchers from both sides of the plate, with a platoon split of just four OPS points. He became the regular in center and the metrics were a little divided, as UZR showed him a little below average in, while Statcast Outs Above Average had him sixth among all center fielders. He was a Gold Glove finalist.
In 2022, Reynolds got off to a start that was reminiscent of his 2020 season, batting 194/293/306 in April. He recovered with a decent May and a big (333/379/610) June. Reynolds missed half of July with an oblique injury and slumped when he did play, but he hit well over the season’s last two months. He finished with a good season, if not one that was up to his 2021 level. Some of it was his BABIP dropping to .306, which is a typical level for most hitters but well below his career norms. Another factor was poorer walk and K rates. Reynolds’ defense in center wasn’t good. In fact, Statcast had him going from well above average in 2021 to near the bottom in 2022.
2023-24
After the 2022 season, amid heavy trade speculation, Reynolds and the Pirates entered negotiations over a long-term deal. The negotiations extended into the season and, in late April, the sides agreed to a team-record, eight-year deal with a guaranteed value of $106.75M and a team option for 2031. Reynolds also got a limited, six-team no-trade clause, a Pirate first. As for the season, he had another very streaky one. His OPS by month was:
April - .926
May - .726
June - .799
July - .577
August - .898
September - .772
Oddly, Reynolds hit five home runs in the first seven games, then none over the next 34. He also hit only one in June, but he still finished with 24. In the end, Reynolds’ numbers were very close to 2022. Defensively, he played mostly left, starting just 13 games in center. Both UZR and OAA regarded his defense in left as below average.
In 2024, Reynolds’ hitting was nearly identical to 2023: his OPS was one point higher. He batted 275/344/447 and again hit 24 home runs. His walk and K rates were largely the same. Reynolds was once again very streaky. His OPS by month:
April - .743
May - .695
June - .992
July - .909
August - .738
September - .693
On defense, Reynolds mostly played left but occasionally started in right or as DH. According to Statcast, his defense fell off a cliff; it rated him in the first percentile. UZR saw him as just a little below average.
Stats
Transactions
June 10, 2016: Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 2nd round, 59th overall pick; signed on June 22.
January 15, 2018: Traded by the San Francisco Giants with Kyle Crick and $500,000 in international bonus pool space to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Andrew McCutchen and $2,500,000.
April 20, 2019: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.