Bryan Reynolds is back to barreling balls for the Pirates, who see CF as 'major component'

In what now sounds like a game of telephone, where something gets lost in translation, Bryan Reynolds wanted to clarify a conversation he had with Jacob Stallings about only hitting home runs.

Stallings joked about it after Reynolds hit his fourth home run in seven games Thursday night against Miami.

“I was like, ‘What’s wrong with that?’ ” Stallings said. “He was like, ‘Well, I guess nothing.’ ”

That required further explanation from the ever-wry Reynolds, who went from leading the NL in doubles to getting only one in the past 13 games. Meanwhile, Reynolds had five homers in that span after hitting three in his first 40 games this season — all without intentionally swinging for the fences.

“I was just telling him I felt like my only hits the last couple of series were homers, and I don’t hit enough homers for that to be sustainable,” Reynolds said. “Just trying to put the barrel on the ball, stick to my approach the last few games, and some of them have gone out.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton couldn’t help but laugh — “Well, first off, I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation, to hear how that went down” — before agreeing Reynolds’ numbers have the potential to fluctuate because of his approach and swing.

That the Pirates can find some levity in his performance at the plate is a promising sign, showing the decline he endured last season was an aberration of the 60-game season. Through his first 53 games, Reynolds is batting 100 points higher (.289), has 10 more doubles (16), one more homer (eight) and seven more RBIs (26) than in 55 games last season.

“Bryan’s a really, really good hitter, and we saw it in 2019,” Stallings said, referring to the rookie season during which Reynolds batted .314/.377/.503 with 37 doubles, 16 homers and 68 RBIs in 134 games. “I think that 2020 can get a little overblown. Just a two-month season, you get off to a bad start, and it’s hard to get out of it, especially for a guy who plays every day like him. You only have so many at-bats. It’s been really good to see him get back to who he is. All he’s done his whole life is hit. He’s a really good player, too.”

What’s most impressive is Reynolds has done so without the protection of Ke’Bryan Hayes batting in front of him for the past two months and Colin Moran behind him in the order the past two weeks. Reynolds anticipates more RBIs and run-scoring opportunities, if not a better pitch selection. If not, he’ll keep waiting for walks.

Whatever the case, Reynolds doesn’t anticipate changing his approach.

“Maybe with runners in scoring position I’ll keep getting offspeed pitches, but maybe I’ll get more heaters,” Reynolds said. “I’m just keep sticking to the approach I’ve got, trying to drive the ball middle and whatever happens there happens. If it’s over (the fence), it’s over. If it’s a broken-bat single, it’s a broken-bat single.”

The Pirates are pleased with the way Reynolds handles everything in an even-keel manner, showing no outward signs whether he is frustrated with a called third strike or doing a home-run trot around the bases.

And he has handled the pressure of replacing Starling Marte in center field and the three-hole in the batting order with the same demeanor he did in being traded for Andrew McCutchen.

“Getting traded for somebody like that is pretty cool,” Reynolds said. “It adds a lot of pressure at the start and I felt that in Double A, just trying to be the replacement for him. I’ve put that behind me now and here I am. I’ve just tried to be my own player and be the best player I can be. He is who he is, a great player. I’m just trying to be who I am.”

Replacing All-Stars and Gold Glove winners? A simple shrug.

Reynolds went from replacing the faces of the franchise to becoming one, something he suggested might have been in his subconscious while “getting my feet wet in the outfield at the major league level.”

After long expressing that he is comfortable in center, Reynolds has made a seamless transition there this season. Reynolds saw Marte in the tunnel at PNC Park before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins and expressed his admiration for him.

“He’s an incredible center fielder, player, everything. Everything he does is crazy,” Reynolds said. “Playing left field next to him was a treat. You knew if there was anything over towards him, he was going to catch it.”

Reynolds laughed, knowing what he was about to say next sounded as silly as his home run conversation with Stallings: “I guess I try to channel the Marte athleticism the best I can.”

Shelton, however, sees “a ton of value” in Reynolds. Not only did he play “above average” in left field, Shelton said, but is “tracking” to do the same in center.

“He came to the big leagues his first year and hit. Last year, he had a bit of a down year. But he’s bounced right back and is hitting,” Shelton said. “So, yes, ton of value. He’s a major component to our club, and a major component to what we’re doing moving forward.”