Bryan Reynolds has only three major-league seasons under his belt, so he hardly can believe he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Reynolds has become one of the faces of the franchise as it endures a rebuild.

Despite rampant rumors during the lockout that Reynolds was a trade candidate, he was blunt when asked if he wants to be one of the building blocks for the Pirates’ future: “Yeah, of course.”

The 27-year-old center fielder enters his first year of arbitration eligibility and is projected to boost his salary from $601,000 last season to the $4.5 million range. Reynolds turned down a contract extension last spring but said he isn’t against signing a long-term deal with the Pirates.

“We haven’t talked about anything specific like that, but I’ve said that I like Pittsburgh and I like the teammates we’ve got in here,” Reynolds said Wednesday morning at LECOM Park. “I like it here, so …”

So it becomes an issue of whether the Pirates can build a winning team in the window where Reynolds remains under club control that will determine if he becomes a cornerstone or a trade chip.

#Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds talks with team owner Bob Nutting during today’s workout at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. pic.twitter.com/OayvHUbAam

— Christopher Horner (@Hornerfoto1) March 17, 2022

Reynolds, who played on Vanderbilt’s 2014 NCAA champions, believes the Pirates are closer to contending than their 101-loss season last year would indicate because of a young core that includes third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and a minor-league system headlined by top-15 prospect Oneil Cruz and ranked No. 3 by Baseball America.

“I want to win here,” Reynolds said. “I know that it can be done. We’ve done it before. I definitely want to be part of that,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got a great staff, a ton of talent in the minors, a lot of good, young talent in the big leagues, too. The future’s bright. We’ll get there.”

Reynolds, 27, is the brightest bat in the Pirates’ lineup. He bounced back from an abysmal season in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season — when he batted .189 — by slashing .302/.390/.522 with 35 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs and 90 RBIs while batting third in the order. He led all major-league center fielders with a .934 OPS and 82 RBIs at the position and tied for the MLB lead in triples.

“There’s a quiet confidence about his game,” Pirates outfielder Ben Gamel said. “You don’t hear him, but you see him. I think he’s a superstar in the making, for sure, just the way he goes out and posts up every day. He wants to be in there every day. It’s great to see. … That’s the thing about him in the lineup: He’s getting everyone more good pitches to hit.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on what CF Bryan Reynolds needs to do to improve after being selected as an All-Star in 2021. pic.twitter.com/tOnkyZaEoB

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) March 16, 2022

Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes the key to Reynolds taking the next step in his career is making sure he swings at the right pitches. After hitting .376 in June to raise his batting average to .316, Reynolds started seeing fewer pitches in the strike zone last season, and his batting average suffered. He batted .268 from July 1-Sept. 26.

“Sometimes you get into situations where he may not get a lot of pitches to hit,” Shelton said. “He has to make sure he swings at the right one.”

Shelton indicated Reynolds did that late in the season, after his average slipped to .293 by Sept. 27. Over the final six games, against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, Reynolds went 10 for 16 (.625) with three doubles and three triples for a 1.792 OPS.

“In the last series, he was on fire,” Shelton said. “I think he did it because he was prepared to hit, and he hit the right pitches. That’s going to be the next step. Continuing to elevate your game is challenging. I think his demeanor will help him with that because he does a really good job of staying calm.”

Reynolds also stays true to character outside the box in that he leads more by his actions than with his words. As with hitting, he believes it’s all about timing. Although his was off in 2020, Reynolds never wavered in his approach. He returned to the same offseason routine, lifting weights with an emphasis on his lower body and hitting in the cage after a few weeks off to reset. The confidence is quiet but comes from a strong foundation.

“I just want to go out there every day and play the way I know that I can play. The rest will take care of that,” Reynolds said. “I feel like that will take care of some of the leadership part, too. You lead by what you do than what you say. I’m not going to get up in front of the clubhouse and give a pump-up speech.”

Reynolds has no plans to change his approach at the plate, either. If he’s going to become a 30-homer, 100-RBI slugger, Reynolds plans to do so without changing a thing. The key to his success in the batter’s box comes with delivering the barrel to the ball on time, not swinging for the fences.

“I don’t like to try to talk about power or try to generate it,” Reynolds said. “I just want to tap into it as a byproduct, hitting on time and swing at pitches that can make the power, but I’m not going to talk about trying to be a power guy. … I’m not up there trying to hit it as hard as I can and smash the ball. I’m just trying to put a good, solid barrel on it and just let it go.”

Likewise, his shift from left field to center also came naturally. Reynolds made the move April 22 in Detroit and never looked back, making diving catches and throwing out runners at home plate. Now that he’s back at his preferred position, Reynolds wants to stay there.

Staying put with the Pirates has been an issue, however, for even their best players.

When they traded away All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier at the deadline and Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings in the offseason, Reynolds lost two of his closest friends on the team. He’s well aware that he could be next to go.

“There’s been a lot of turnaround. It’s weird to think that I’m one of the guys that’s been here the longest because I really haven’t been up for that long,” said Reynolds, who debuted in April 2019. “We’ve got some guys that need to fill some shoes, to step up and lead us, but we’ve got some guys that can do that. I’m not going to change anything specifically about how I operate, but I’m ready for whatever.”

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---