RADIO
Bryan Reynolds 2020 Outlook: Solid Fantasy Value Even With Expected Regression
5 years agoBryan Reynolds came out of nowhere to post a fantastic rookie season in 2019, slashing .314/.377/.503 with 16 HR for the Pirates on the strength of a .387 BABIP. Fantasy owners don't seem to be buying the performance at all (200.11 ADP), but his regression shouldn't be as bad as you might think. The now 25-year-old brings above-average foot speed (28.1 ft./sec Statcast Sprint), average airborne contact quality (92.5 mph), and above-average velocity on ground balls (87.5 mph) to the table, leading Baseball Savant to say that he deserved a batting average of .296 last year. His rate of Brls/BBE (6.7%) was hamstrung by a low 29.8 FB%, but his 45.9 FB% at Triple-A last year suggests that improvement could be forthcoming. Reynolds doesn't strike out that often (22.2 K%) and projects to hit first or second for Pittsburgh in 2020, further suggesting that he'll have the counting stats to give his batting average some juice. All told, Reynolds is probably a .300 hitter who won't kill you in other categories: a stat line that can be tough to find once 200 players leave the board.
