Pirates Know Their Most Important Hitter in June
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed someone to step up offensively and one player came through for them in a big way.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds has excelled in June and did that again for the Pirates in their 6-5 comeback win over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on June 16.
Reynolds went 4-for-5, which included a solo home run in the sixth inning and a two-run home run in the seventh inning, which tied the game at 5-5 after the Pirates originally trailed 4-0 in the first inning.
The longest-tenured member of the Pirates is hitting the best he has this season right now, which the team clearly needs in a difficult stretch of games.
Switch-hitting excellence from B-Rey🔥@MLBPS_US pic.twitter.com/WUbYEzBwJJ
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 17, 2026
Reynolds' Performance Gives Pirates Huge Win
The Pirates had trailed 4-0 in the first inning, with three runs scoring off an error from first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who made a nice grab, but overthrew right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller, then an RBI-double.
Pittsburgh came into this game having scored just 10 runs in their past four games, with one win, and suffered an 11-2 loss in the series opener to the Athletics.
Reynolds got the Pirates going in that sixth inning, taking a first-pitch, 93 mph four-seam fastball over the plate that he sent 104.2 mph off the bat and 408 feet to center field, just over the outstretched glove of Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte.
He then took advantage of an 82.3 mph changeup left up in the zone, which he obliged by sending 97.3 mph off the bat and 350 feet, that just went over the right field wall, with Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler just missing the catch at the wall.
That home run tied the game and set up second baseman Brandon Lowe to hit a go-ahead solo home run in the ninth inning for the 6-5 win.
It marked his first multi-home run game of the season and his ninth and 10th home runs overall, making him one of four Pirates hitters in double-digits for home runs, along with Lowe (18), Oneil Cruz (14) and Ryan O'Hearn (10).
Reynolds said post game that he wasn't sure if either home run would end up being so, as he thought both might get robbed, but he was happy with the way he hit and for getting his team back to winning ways.
“Yeah it was great. We needed that," Reynolds said postgame to SportsNet Pittsburgh. "The way we battled and came back and found a way off their closer. Yeah, we needed it and it was a good one.”
June a Month Reynolds Just Dominates In
Reynolds normally starts hitting his best in June and this year is no different, slashing .296/.387/.593 for an OPS of .980, with 16 hits in 54 at-bats, 10 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs, seven RBI and seven walks to 12 strikeouts.
He has historically began batting much better in June, regularly possessing an OPS near or above 1.000 and serving as one of the team's best hitters.
Year | Batting Avg. | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | .369 | .438 | .524 | .962 |
2021 | .376 | .442 | .645 | 1.087 |
2022 | .333 | .379 | .610 | .989 |
2023 | .268 | .406 | .393 | .799 |
2024 | .330 | .388 | .604 | .992 |
2025 | .256 | .316 | .456 | .772 |
2026 | .296 | .387 | .593 | .980 |
He actually hit better in May this year, slashing .313/.422/.510 for an OPS of .932, but he already has more home runs in June and is showing off his power when the Pirates need it most.
Pittsburgh is without two of its best hitters, as Cruz is dealing with a left hand fracture and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin is rehabbing down in Bradenton, Fla. from a forearm flexor strain, which is preventing him from fielding.
The Pirates need Reynolds, plus Lowe, O'Hearn, Horwitz and others to really make up for the loss of production, and so far, Reynolds has done so incredibly well.
It's been a great season for Reynolds, who is slashing .280/.400/.470 for an OPS of .870 through 74 games, with 74 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 49 walks to 67 strikeouts.
Reynolds has the fourth-most walks in the National League and the seventh-most walks in baseball, while his .400 on-base percentage is also fourth-best in the National League and sixth-best in baseball. His OPS is also 11th-best in the National League and 20th-best in baseball.
He is currently in the midst of a 23-game on-base streak, tied for the second-longest in baseball, where he has 30 hits in 83 at-bats, six home runs, 13 BRI and 19 runs scored, while slashing .361/.465/.675 for an OPS of 1.140.
Reynolds also gives the Pirates a switch hitter that hits well from both sides of the plate, allowing him to hit off left/right-handed pitchers.
He is hitting better as a left-handed hitter, but his power production is equal on both sides, with five home runs, 24 RBI and eight doubles as a right-handed batter and five home runs, 21 RBI and eight doubles as a left-handed batter.
Reynolds showed this versatility vs. the Athletics, hitting his first home run as a left-handed batter off of right-handed starting pitcher Jack Perkins and then hitting his second home run as a right-handed batter off of left-handed relief pitcher Hogan Harris.
Pirates manager Don Kelly knows how important Reynolds is in the lineup and how much they need him right now without two of his best players in a season where the aim is the playoffs.
“Oh huge," Kelly said on Reynolds' performance. "The game tonight was enormous, home run from both sides and just the way he’s been swinging the bat lately. Barreling everything up and line drives. It’s not like he’s going up there trying to go deep. He’s just squaring the ball up and had a huge game tonight.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.