Pittsburgh Pirates: Highlights for the Organization in 2021
By Marty Leap
Bryan Reynolds is a superstar
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a new superstar. 2021 was the year of Bryan Reynolds as he has emerged as the face of the franchise for the Pirates, as well as being the team’s first true superstar since Andrew McCutchen left. Ironically enough, Reynolds was the key piece acquired by the Pirates in the McCutchen trade.
During the 2021 season Reynolds hit for a .302/.390/.522 slash line to go with a 142 wRC+. Outside of batting average, all three of these were a new career high. Reynolds clubbed a career best 24 home runs while collecting a career best 67 extra base hits.
Reynolds was both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award finalist. To be honest, he should have taken home the Silver Slugger Award for National League center fielders. He was an All-Star for the first time in his career and posted a 6.0 WAR which ranked 11th among MLB position players.
Moving forward Reynolds will be the main pillar for the Pirates. He is the face of the franchise and the anchor in their starting lineup. Even though he remains under team control through 2025, working out a contract extension with Reynolds needs to be priority number one for the Pirates.