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Bryan Reynolds 2021 Outlook: Trying to Forget 2020
4 years agoPittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds looked like an appealing option as a high-floor hitter in an uncertain 2020 season. Instead, he proved to be a massive flop and will need to quickly turn the page if he wants to stay in the team's plans. Reynolds went from posting a .300 xBA that was among the best in the majors in 2019 to a .228 xBA in 2020. that resulted in a drop of 125 points in batting average, down to a miserable .189 last season. He provided modest pop with seven home runs and didn't see a huge drop in his hard-hit numbers but it goes without saying he had little fantasy value in terms of runs or RBI with 24 and 19 respectively.
Aside from the question of whether he can come close to approaching his rookie numbers, there is a great deal of risk with Reynolds based on team context. The Pirates were already dead last in runs scored and third-lowest in team batting average in 2020. Now, they've traded their best hitter in Josh Bell and their top two pitchers in Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon. This is a never-ending rebuild that is somehow taking a step backward. The best fantasy managers can hope for is a boost in batting average, betting on a big rebound. He isn't much more than a late-round flier at his 278 ADP, so it won't cost much to use him as bench depth.
