Diving Into Bryan Reynolds’ Impressive Month of June

At the end of May, Bryan Reynolds’ numbers were not what many were expecting to see. After going 1 for 5 in a game against the Dodgers on May 31, Reynolds carried a .212/.302/.388 slash line. He hit seven homers and had just 12 RBIs through the first two months of the season.

Coming off such a solid season a year ago, it was strange to see Reynolds have prolonged struggles out of the gate. More than once, it looked like he was on the verge of a breakout, only to scuffle again.

All the doctor ordered for the 2021 National League All-Star to get back on track was a flip of the calendar from May to June. On the month, Reynolds is slashing .337/.384/.624. His OPS of 1.009 in June ranks ninth in the Major Leagues, and his .624 slugging percentage is good for 10th.

His eight homers in June are one more than he had in April and May combined, and his 19 RBIs give him seven more than he had in his first 43 games over the first two months. In 27 games in June, Reynolds has essentially doubled his season hit total from 36 to 70.

Reynolds put an exclamation mark on his strong month with a three-homerun, six-RBI performance in Wednesday’s 8-7 win over the Nationals — both marks set new career-highs. He now leads the team with 15 homers and 31 RBIs.

The main reason for why Reynolds has been so much better. He’s simply hitting the ball harder. In June, Reynolds’ hard-hit rate is 31.5%, up 10% from what it was in May. His soft contact rate is a miniscule 11%, again 10% lower than what it was in May, and 5% lower than April.

So, while his strikeout rate is up and his walk rate is down, the balls he puts in play are resulting in hits more often as a result of the hard contact he is making.

His numbers align with what he has done throughout his career in June. Whatever the reason might be, Reynolds has thrived in the month of June throughout his big-league career. In 76 career June games, Reynolds owns an eye-catching .360 batting average with 1.021 OPS, by far his best marks of any month.

There’s still one more game left in the month as the Pirates are set to play host to the Brewers on Thursday night at PNC Park. What will the Bucs centerfielder do for his final act in June?