Bryan Reynolds Worth Every (Hypothetical) Penny (+)
PITTSBURGH — What more could be said about Bryan Reynolds and the start he’s had this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates?
In Friday’s home opener win over the Chicago White Sox, Reynolds finished a double shy of the cycle and drove in six runs, tying a career-high. His five home runs through the team’s first seven games are tied for the most in franchise history alongside Hall of Famer Willie Stargell (1971).
Reynolds has been a key reason as to why the Pirates improved to 5-2 on the season with the win as he is now hitting .448 with a 1.572 OPS and 13 RBIs on the year.
“It just all comes back to timing all the time with me. I feel like if I’m on time I’ve got a good chance,” Reynolds said.
It’s an encouraging start for Reynolds who last year, struggled to find his footing. He didn’t hit his fifth home run until May 21 last year and his 13th RBI didn’t come until the first day of June.
Reynolds, though, isn’t even thinking about last year. It’s all about 2023 and the current group.
“I’m not putting any weight into last year, but it always feels good to feel comfortable in the box and help your team win.”
Reynolds has served as the front man for the Pirates in their strong start through the first seven games of the season.
As both Reynolds and the Pirates have been off to a hot start, the 28-year-old has caught the attention of both his manager and his teammates.
“He’s swinging at the right pitches, obviously, but it’s probably the most locked in I’ve seen him…The thing that stands out is it’s not as much the pitches he’s swinging at, it’s the pitches he’s not swinging at,” manager Derek Shelton said.
“He’s on another level, and I think just being around him he’s making all of us better hitters,” Connor Joe, who had four hits and three doubles in the win on Friday, said.
His hot start this season comes at an interesting time as Reynolds has been the subject of extension talks as we got too and through opening day in Cincinnati.
The Pirates and Reynolds reportedly agreed to the financial ties to a deal, but talks hit a snag when Reynolds’ camp asked for an opt-out.
For the Pirates’ sake, a potential Reynolds deal would make sense for a couple reasons. For one, it would show the fanbase a clear sign that the organization is committed to winning and will spend money to do so.
The second reason, and even more important one, is that the Pirates would be locking up their best player for essentially his entire career.
For the Pirates, a Reynolds extension makes too much sense not to happen — regardless of the price.
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