'It feels different': Reynolds reveals secret to June success

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA – Bryan Reynolds is on such a heater that when asked about his hot streak, he needed clarification.

“Which streak are you talking about?” Reynolds sarcastically asked.

Reynolds has built a 34-game on-base streak overall and had a 17-game hitting streak in June. He’s produced in the Pirates’ three-hole as one of the best hitters in baseball this month, tallying a .947 OPS. His 34-game on-base streak is the longest single-season streak for a Pirates player since Brian Giles' 35-game stretch in 2001. Reynolds’ hitting streak came to an end on June 28 in a 9-4 win over the Reds, though his two walks kept his on-base streak alive and well.

This isn’t the first time Reynolds has excelled in June. Pirates manager Don Kelly joked that they might have to change the calendar in the clubhouse to present June for each month. Reynolds has notched an OPS over .900 in the first month of summer in five of seven eligible MLB seasons. The 31-year-old from Baltimore pointed to warm weather and catching up to pitchers a few months into the year as keys to success.

“Just have to thaw out,” Reynolds joked.

Reynolds is wreaking havoc from both sides of the plate. Pittsburgh’s longest-tenured position player is a natural righty, and he learned how to switch-hit when he was around 10 years old, working on the left side with his father. Reynolds started switch-hitting consistently as a junior in high school, giving him an edge once he got to Vanderbilt.

While excelling from both sides, Reynolds is a completely different hitter based on which batter’s box he’s in. From his natural right side, his base on his stance is far more narrow and he utilizes a high leg kick. From the left side, Reynolds’ feet are 44.2 inches apart, the farthest for a qualified left-handed batter since 2023. He also has no leg kick, instead using a short stride. Reynolds continues to tweak both stances.

“It's hard to string both sides together at the same time,” Reynolds said. “So, when it's clicking like that, it feels different.”

Reynolds has also added patience as a byproduct of an altered approach. His walk rate has risen from 9.1% over his first seven MLB seasons to 15.2% this year, ranking in the 95th percentile per Baseball Savant.

Reynolds said he doesn’t think about walking. It happens “by accident” when he’s seeing the ball well.

In the past, Reynolds was one of the sole fixtures in Pittsburgh’s lineup, adding pressure to produce. Following multiple offseason moves and the promotion of rookie phenom Konnor Griffin, Reynolds now has plenty of hitters around him, helping the Pirates transition from the worst offense in the Majors by OPS to the second-best through June 29.

One of the additions who has made Reynolds' job a bit easier is second baseman Brandon Lowe, who leads Pittsburgh with 20 home runs and bats right ahead of Reynolds each day. At this point, Lowe said you can put all your eggs in the basket that Reynolds will get on base each time.

Lowe knew Reynolds before coming over from Tampa Bay through offseason workouts in Tennessee and playing against each other over the years. Lowe sees a “mature approach.” Amid a streak – or streaks – of Reynolds’ caliber, Lowe said players understand it’s happening, but often avoid numbers to stay in the moment. Reynolds’ success is Pittsburgh’s success.

“It's honestly pretty calming,” Lowe said. “If I'm on base, it's like, ‘All right, be ready to go.’ He's either gonna get on one way or the other. It's fun to see him get back and start showing people that he's still Bryan Reynolds.”

Despite Reynolds’ .874 OPS on the year, he wasn’t even a top-20 outfielder in the All-Star Game fan vote. Reynolds has made the game twice before in 2021 and 2024. After another stellar June, his third honor could be on the way.

“That's nothing new,” Reynolds said of his lack of popularity. “Whenever I've made it, it's always been in the player vote, anyway. [It’s] just a popularity contest. I definitely deserve it at this point. That would be cool.”