Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is closing in on yet another rookie record
Thursday night, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds had his first career two home run game. One home run came as a left-handed hitter and the other was as a right-handed hitter, making Reynolds just the third hitter in franchise history to hit a home run from each side of the plate in the same game. This was just the latest in what has been a season’s long worth of accolades for the switch hitting Reynolds.
Reynolds is currently putting together one of the best rookie seasons in Pirate history. In fact, the season that Reynolds is having is one of the best for a rookie hitter in National League history. Now, he is closing in on making history.
Following his two home run night on Thursday Reynolds is now slashing .333/.398/.538 with a .392 wOBA, 143 wRC+, and his extra base hit rate is a healthy 12.3%. Reynolds currently sits second in the NL in batting behind just Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals. If Reynolds is able to capture the batting crown, he would be the first rookie to ever win the NL batting race.
While Reynolds has an opportunity at making history with the batting race, there is one piece of history he is all but a guarantee to make. What is that history you ask? The Pittsburgh Pirates record for doubles hit by a rookie.
Reynolds has hit 33 doubles so far this season. This is pretty remarkable for any rookie, but especially one who spent the first three weeks of the season in the minor leagues like Reynolds did. 33 doubles also puts him two doubles short of the team’s rookie record.
In 1926 outfielder Paul Waner hit 35 doubles as a rookie. For the last 93 years this has been the Pirate franchise record for doubles as a rookie. However, the Hall of Fame player’s record looks ready to fall.
Barring injury, Reynolds should set a new Pirate rookie record for doubles in a season. Any time a hitter finds themselves in the same breath as a Hall of Fame hitter they are having a hell of a season. But finding themselves in that breath as a rookie just adds to the impressive work Reynolds has done this season.