Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds: A tough out everywhere he goes

The words did come out of Bryan Reynolds mouth. A quick review of his interview at PirateFest confirmed it.

“Pitchers have been trying to get me out for a long time,” he said.

That’s what the Pirates’ second-year outfielder said. But before anyone accuses Reynolds of pumping out his chest too far, his remarks deserve some context.

Throughout most of the 2019 season, Reynolds, then 24, was the antithesis of what many baseball people, former Pirates general manager Neil Huntington included, believed about exposing a young player to major-league pitching too soon.

After being called up April 20 — outfielder Jason Martin got the call two weeks earlier — missing the first 17 games and getting the opportunity only after an injury to Starling Marte, Reynolds immediately started an 11-game hitting streak, kept his average above .300 for all but two days and finished at .314. By comparison, veteran hitters Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon hit .315 and .314, respectively, last season.

Reynolds’ remark at PirateFest was in response to a question about the game’s pitchers punching back — a Clint Hurdle expression — after his successful rookie season. Of course, pitchers are trying to get him out.

“They were doing that last year,” Reynolds said. “Obviously, they will continue to look at things and see what they can do to try and get me out. But I’m going to be doing the same thing, looking at what I can do against them and what my approach can be.

“It will just be another aspect I’ve dealt with.”

The truth is pitchers have been trying — without much success — to get Reynolds out almost from the first day he picked up a bat. Since he was 15-years-old — maybe longer — he never has hit less than .300 in any season.

At Brentwood (Tenn.) High School, Reynolds started four seasons and hit “well over” .300 as a freshman and in the mid-.400s as a junior and senior his coach, Brian Popovich, said.

Popovich, who is a nephew of former Pirates infielder Paul Popovich, said an arm injury in his senior season limited Reynolds to designated hitter and first base duties.

“His talent as a hitter was such we had to have him in the lineup,” Popovich said.

When Reynolds went to Vanderbilt — he told major-league scouts not to draft him because he was going to college — he hit .329 over three seasons. He hit .346 in the Cape Cod League in 2015 and averaged .309 for four minor-league teams before going to Triple-A Indianapolis for the first time in 2019 and hitting .367 in 13 games.

Reynolds is quiet by nature, a character trait that serves him well, but it prompted scouts to ask Popovich about his commitment to the game.

“Being level-headed is not the same as not caring,” Popovich told them. “I’ve never met anyone who cares as much as he does. He was not a vocal cheerleader type. What he was was exactly what he is today. First one here, last one to leave.

“He just loves everything about the game. That’s where he exerted his leadership, his just infectious love of everything about the game.”

A year ago at this time, many critical fans considered Reynolds just another obscure minor leaguer thrown into the Andrew McCutchen trade. McCutchen hadn’t hit .300 since 2014 when he only matched Reynolds’ .314. And Reynolds is eight years younger.

Reynolds said he showed up at PNC Park last season not knowing what to expect. He was prepared to, at least, enjoy the ride.

“It was just a whirlwind for me,” he said. “I got called up and had no idea how long I was going to be up here, and I think that might have helped me in the long run, too. Because, right off the bat, I was just trying to enjoy it and take it in and, I guess, it kind of snowballed from there.”

Now, he is the Pirates’ healthiest veteran outfielder with Corey Dickerson and Marte traded and Gregory Polanco rehabbing a stubborn shoulder injury.

“It’s a pretty big change from last year,” Reynolds said.

Three of the Pirates’ top five hitters are gone — Marte, Dickerson and Melky Cabrera — leaving Reynolds and shortstop Kevin Newman (.308) as the only returning .300 hitters.

Reynolds said he has no complaints about how his rookie season evolved, but he admits, “I think I had my fair share of adversity.”

He led the team in strikeouts (121) and hit only .230 in September while averaging a strikeout per game.

But he was third in home runs (16) after hitting only 28 in three-plus minor-league seasons. Of his 154 hits, 37% (57) went for extra bases.

Defensively, he made some highlight-reel catches while patrolling the vast pasture that is left field at PNC Park. He ended with four errors and four assists among 245 chances.

Even with Marte gone, Reynolds will stay in left field if the Pirates can acquire a veteran center fielder. He played 75 games in left, 31 in right and 25 in center, and he said he’s comfortable anywhere.

The only thing Reynolds didn’t do was steal many bases: three in five attempts. He was judicious with his thievery for good reason: Marte and Bell batted behind him most of the time.

“I’m in scoring position when I’m on first with Josh hitting,” he said. “I didn’t want to get thrown out at second and him hit a homer. I had the green light. I didn’t go.

“I have it in me. And I’m going to try and tap into that. I got the speed.”

Then, he laughed and said, “I think I do.”

Nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back every once in a while.

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