Bryan Reynolds has perfect comeback to Reds broadcaster roasting his Pirates career

Don't let him get hot.

Emma Lingan

Cincinnati Reds v Pittsburgh Pirates / Justin K. Aller/GettyImages

A two-time MLB All-Star who has long been the Pittsburgh Pirates' best and most consistent hitter, Bryan Reynolds is enduring arguably the worst season of his career.

Entering the 2025 season, Reynolds owned a .276/.352/.470 slash line with 157 doubles, 26 triples, 122 home runs and 411 RBI across 794 games in his career. Entering Thursday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, however, he was hitting just .236/.294/.374 with 10 homers on the year.

Reds radio broadcaster Chris Welsh took Reynolds' first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning on Thursday as an opportunity to reflect on how poorly his season as gone – and to posit a theory as to why his production has taken such a sharp downturn this year.

“It could be that he has spent his entire career here for the Pirates," Welsh said on the broadcast. "After a while, it just saps you, playing for a last-place club year in and year out. I mentioned earlier that you’ve got to go back to 2018 to find the last time the Pirates finished over .500 – and even then, they only won 82 games."

Hollywood couldn't have scripted a better storyline for what happened next. Not even a full two seconds after Welsh finished speaking, Reynolds saw a 3-0 sinker from Reds right-hander Brady Singer and cranked it deep to left field and over the wall for a solo homer to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead. The Pirates would go on to win the game, 7-0.

Bryan Reynolds appears to be returning to form after mediocre first half with Pirates

Of course, Welsh's criticism of the Pirates franchise isn't altogether unfounded. Pittsburgh has indeed been a regular occupant of the National League Central basement over the past decade (as have the Reds, but that's neither here nor there).

Reynolds, though, appears to be turning a corner after his tough start to the season. Since the All-Star break, the switch-hitting outfielder has been hitting .310/.356/.464 with 26 hits in 21 games. His home run against the Reds on Thursday was his first of the second half; but given his track record, confidence remains high that he will only continue to heat up at the plate. Perhaps he just needs more rival broadcasters to bemoan what a bad team he plays for.

Oh, and apropos of nothing, the Reds haven't won a playoff series since 1995. The Pirates last won one in 2013 – against the Reds.

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Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). She is also a credentialed NHL reporter and a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. You can follow her @Emma Lingan on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.