Bryan Reynolds is one of the longest tenured members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, making his MLB debut with the team in April 2019.
The former second-round draft pick has had some exhilarating highs, earning All-Star nods in 2021 and 2024, but is having a down 2025 campaign.
Reynolds hit 24 home runs in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and had a career-high 27 long balls in 2022, while averaging 81 RBIs over the last four seasons. He enters Thursday with just 13 home runs and 61 RBIs, and his .247/.305/.404 slash line is the worst of his career, outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked by a fan if he was worried about Reynolds’ numbers and the beat writer explained why he felt there was cause for concern.
“I think there’s a solid reason to be concerned about Reynolds. We talked a ton over the last few weeks about how Ke’Bryan Hayes never truly became the player the Pirates hoped he’d be when he signed that extension. I think it’s worth wondering if a similar situation is unfolding with Reynolds. He’s been good in recent years, but it’s hard to believe his best days aren’t behind him,” Hiles wrote. “That’s what the numbers indicate anyway. He will likely see more time at designated hitter in the future, which is probably for the best. Keeping him out of the field will increase his value. I still think Reynolds can be a productive hitter. However, I only think that will happen if they get him more lineup protection.”
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The insider went on to say that 2026 will be a “very, very important” season for the 30-year-old.
Reynolds signed an eight-year, $106.75 million contract with Pittsburgh in April 2023.
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