After an impressive 2019 campaign in which he turned in an OPS of .880, Bryan Reynolds was one of MLB’s greater disappointments during the truncated 2020 season.
In 2020, Reynolds saw a 5.2% increase in strikeout rate over his 2019 margin, partially contributing to what was a miserable year for Reynolds in the AVG and OBP categories. However, Reynolds’ BABIP suggests that the second-year Pirates hitter got unlucky throughout the abbreviated season.
A silver lining of Reynolds’ play in 2020 comes when viewing his barrel rate. Reynolds nearly doubled his 2019 rate during the 60-game season, racking up 13 barrels on 128 batted balls in 2020. Reynolds also improved his walk rate in 2020, which makes for an interesting development in his game going forward.
According to NFBC’s average draft position (ADP) rankings, Bryan Reynolds has been drafted 296th overall on average in fantasy drafts since the beginning of October. With the fantasy baseball community letting him slip nearly out of the top 300 in ADP, Reynolds becomes a great late-draft value pick that could end up returning a possible top-150 value.
With Reynolds turning 26 in January, dynasty league owners may be more willing to trade him knowing age may soon become a factor. However, Reynolds’ acquisition price may be as low as it will ever be right now. He’s a great back-end piece for teams looking to win their leagues this coming season.
While he is certainly not a player to build a fantasy team around, Reynolds’ current perception around fantasy circles makes him a great option to draft low or trade for in dynasty leagues before 2021.
Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports
